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The Science and Practice of Team Science (2025)

Chapter: Appendix E: Glossary

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Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Glossary." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. The Science and Practice of Team Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/29043.
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Appendix E

Glossary

accessibility Highlights the importance of making environments, products, and services usable by people with disabilities. This ensures that all individuals, regardless of their abilities, can participate fully in society.
best practice An activity or strategy that can enable a science team to collaborate effectively to achieve its goals.
competencies The knowledge, skills, and abilities required for team success.
context-driven competencies Competencies required for a specific team working on a specific scientific task.
cross-disciplinary Collaboration among multiple disciplines toward a shared objective.
faultlines Ways in which teams may split into sub-groups based on one or more attributes.
group escalation The tendency of teams to commit poor decisions resulting from pressures for conformity.
Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Glossary." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. The Science and Practice of Team Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/29043.
×
hyperauthorship Refers to when scientific papers have hundreds to thousands of authors.
interdisciplinary Blending or juxtaposing concepts and methods from various disciplines.
multidisciplinary Each discipline makes separate contributions in an additive way.
multiteam systems Interdependent sets of two or more component teams pursuing shared superordinate goals.
project management The systematic and deliberate application of knowledge, tools, and expertise to ensure the successful completion of complex projects in a timely and efficient manner.
psychological safety The belief that a group is safe to engage in interpersonal risk.
researcher Any member of a science team conducting and disseminating scientific research.
task-contingent competencies Competencies specific to a type of task but can be applied across different teams.
taskwork The activities associated with achieving a team’s goals.
team charter A document written by team members at the beginning of a team’s life cycle that defines acceptable team behaviors.
team-contingent competencies Competencies specific to a particular team that can be applied generically across scientific tasks.
team orientation Demonstrating collaborative attitudes and behaviors, rather than those that are more individualistic.
team science Collaborative, interdependent research conducted by more than one individual.
Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Glossary." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. The Science and Practice of Team Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/29043.
×
team task analysis A process to identify work behaviors and associated knowledge, skills, and abilities for successful job or task performance.
teamwork The interactions among team members that are essential for effective collaboration.
transdisciplinary Advancement and integration of discipline-specific theories, concepts, and methods.
transdisciplinary orientation A characteristic that reflects the values, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors for effective cross-disciplinary collaboration.
transportable competencies Competencies that have the ability to be applied across a range of tasks and teams.
workshops Organized, structured interventions designed to bring together individuals to engage in collaborative learning, skill development, and reflection over a few hours to a few days.
Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Glossary." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. The Science and Practice of Team Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/29043.
×

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Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Glossary." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. The Science and Practice of Team Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/29043.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Glossary." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. The Science and Practice of Team Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/29043.
×
Page 246
Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Glossary." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. The Science and Practice of Team Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/29043.
×
Page 247
Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Glossary." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. The Science and Practice of Team Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/29043.
×
Page 248
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As scientific problems grow more complex and interdisciplinary, the need for effective, collaborative, and context-sensitive research teams has never been greater. The Science and Practice of Team Science presents an updated, evidence-based roadmap for supporting science teams across a wide variety of domains, disciplines, and organizational structures.

This new report from the National Academies builds on a decade of learning since the landmark Enhancing the Effectiveness of Team Science report. It examines how evolving forces - including digital innovation, global disruptions, and the rise of virtual collaboration - are reshaping the way scientific teams form, function, and deliver results. From small interdisciplinary groups to large-scale, distributed multiteam systems, today's science teams require flexible strategies tailored to their goals, environments, and challenges.

The Science and Practice of Team Science outlines adaptable practices that enhance team dynamics and productivity across all phases of research - from development to implementation to translation. These include the use of team charters, psychological safety, communication strategies, and project management. This report also emphasizes the role of technology in enabling collaboration while cautioning that tools must be intentionally deployed to support accessibility, training, and integration with workflows.

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