Boundary Object Theory Research Articles

“We didn't know what it was going to be until we built it”: Exploring processes of collaboration across disciplinary boundaries

This poster reports on findings from a study of the processes used by an interdisciplinary academic team to work across domain boundaries. Interdisciplinary research holds much promise to address complex social problems, but there has been little work addressing the work processes of time-limited academic teams. The project takes a social constructionist approach, using the social worlds perspective (Strauss, 1978), the intrinsically transient social worlds model (Kazmer, 2010), and boundary objects theory (Star & Griesemer, 1989) as sensitizing concepts, and grounded theory, situational analysis, and social network analysis as methods. This paper discusses the iterative nature of the project and its work, the need for both specialist and generalist work roles, and the need for team members to be willing to take chances and fail.

Collaborative futures: discursive realignments in austere times

This article explores the future of collaboration in an era of austerity. Boundary object theory provides a framework to assess the significance and role of four key discourses in collaboration—efficiency, effectiveness, responsiveness and cultural performance. Crisis provides a way of examining how discourses realign. The exploration of discourses aids critical analysis of collaboration across sectoral, geographical and disciplinary boundaries, highlighting the importance of understanding the contextual roots of collaboration theory and practice, and the implications of local/global dynamics.

Whose kettle?

This article aims to explore how objects function in integration efforts in health and social care contexts. The article draws on boundary object theory and empirical data collected from a range of health and social care integration initiatives in Wales to illustrate the value of the focus on objects and to identify the potential implications of this approach for studies in other national contexts. Attention to objects can shed light on the dynamics of integration, its potential and limits, offering insights that conventional analysis might otherwise miss. The data drawn on in this paper are illustrative. Exploring the role of objects in integration requires more focused studies. The results suggest that integration designers and managers need to pay closer attention to the attachments that practitioners develop to objects. This is a highly original paper in view of its innovative use of boundary object theory in the context of integration, and its contribution to theory, research and practice.

Using Visual Representations as Boundary Objects to Resolve Conflict in Collaborative Model‐Building Approaches

In the context of facilitated, technology‐supported efforts to resolve complex problems, we recognize the critical role that visual representations can play in both the content and process of collaboration. How these representations are wielded by facilitators and interpreted by participants determines whether they help resolve conflicts or close down conversations. We identify three key attributes of scripted problem‐solving facilitation, as well as three key attributes of visual representations that function as boundary objects, to gain insights into pivotal experiences when group problem‐solving efforts turned from collaboration to conflict and vice versa. We draw on three vignettes from facilitated group problem solving to illustrate how these attributes can be deployed to move conflict‐mired conversations into collaborative discussions. This paper contributes to collaborative problem solving by using the formal sociological theory of boundary objects to offer a deeper, richer understanding of successes and shortcomings of visual representations as drivers of conflict resolution in model‐building approaches. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The effectiveness of boundary objects: the case of ecological indicators

Nature conservation policy relies on ecological indicators to assess ecosystem quality and to evaluate the effectiveness of policy and management. Ecological indicators are science-based instruments that classify nature into different (ecosystem) types, each of which is characterised by specific parameters and references. This paper draws on classification and boundary object theory to analyse two case studies about the role of ecological indicators in nature conservation. The cases show that interpretative flexibility is an important factor explaining the effectiveness of ecological indicators as boundary objects. However, rather than a characteristic of the indicator itself, this is a social achievement, which depends on a common culture of shared values and preferences. The paper concludes by discussing the implications of these findings for the concept of boundary objects

Boundary Objects and the Social Construction of GIS Technology

The social construction of geographical information system (GIS) technology requires two-way relationships between technology and people. GIS technology, like any other technology, is more than a tool; it connects different social groups in the construction of new localized social arrangements. We examine several instances of how GIS technology involves social negotiation by using a construct of boundary objects developed in a social constructivist framework. Much like geographic boundaries, boundary objects separate different social groups at the same time that they delineate important points of reference between them. Boundary objects stabilize relationships through the negotiation of flexible and dynamic coherences. The negotiation of differences between different groups is fundamental to the construction of GIS technology. Social-constructivist theories and the concept of boundary objects open new ways to understand the relationships between technology and people. We illustrate the application of boundary object theory through studies of the use of GIS data standards and the definition of wetlands.

Understanding the Data Management Plan as a Boundary Object through a Multi-stakeholder perspective


 A three-phase Delphi study was used to investigate an emerging community for research data management in Norway and their understanding and application of data management plans (DMPs). The findings reveal visions of what the DMP should be as well as different practice approaches, yet the stakeholders present common goals. This paper discusses the different perspectives on the DMP by applying Star and Griesemer’s theory of boundary objects (Star & Griesemer, 1989). The debate on what the DMP is and the findings presented are relevant to all research communities currently implementing DMP procedures and requirements. The current discussions about DMPs tend to be distant from the active researchers and limited to the needs of funders and institutions rather than to the usefulness for researchers. By analysing the DMP as a boundary object, plastic and adaptable yet with a robust identity (Star & Griesemer, 1989), and by translating between worlds where collaboration on data sharing can take place we expand the perspectives and include all stakeholders. An understanding of the DMP as a boundary object can shift the focus from shaping a DMP which fulfils funders’ requirements to enabling collaboration on data management and sharing across domains using standardised forms.