Knowledge Management for Multi- and Crossdisciplinary Research Projects

Abstract

Theories on knowledge management (KM) have matured to include organizational practices, information systems and knowledge processes. Sharing of knowledge between actors having different (scientific) perspectives has received relatively little attention, whereas this is especially relevant to large-scale multidisciplinary research projects. In such projects, the actors are academics, the knowledge content is diverse and shaped (and often confined) by scientific disciplines, whereas strategies to cross disciplinary boundaries seem to be lacking. These projects face the challenge of overcoming disciplinary and theoretical differences in order to reap the benefits of crossdisciplinary inquiry. This minitrack focuses on the management of knowledge within large-scale multidisciplinary and crossdisciplinary research projects.