Collaborative Invention Among Experts in an Interdisciplinary Context: The Creation of Written Discourse for Countermeasures to Biological and Chemical Threats    

Programs in technical and scientific communication educate students from multiple disciplines. As we teach these students from various fields, we often assume they will write to others who are members of the same field. However, professionals commonly communicate across disciplinary boundaries and collaborate with those who do not necessarily belong to their field. We should rethink our approaches in teaching scientific and technical communication to consider how different peoplefrom different areas of expertise engage one another in a communication situation. Based on the understanding that different disciplinary cultures and languages alter contexts for communication, astudy examining how experts from science, engineering, mathematics, and architecture come together as a single group and collaboratively invent discourse can contribute to new knowledge to inform curriculum development.

Gooch, John C. CPTSC Proceedings (2001). Articles>Risk Communication>Collaboration

A Study on Collaborative Invention of Discourse among Disciplinary Experts: The Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr. National Program for Countermeasures to Biological and Chemical Threats as an Activity System  

Few studies have addressed processes of collaborative invention of discourse among experts. Experts engaged in a collaborative process of invention will express ideas, thoughts, and attitudes that shape other contexts. These other contexts may include those that engage risk communication and policy formation. If this process contributes to discourse formation in other areas, then it becomes critical to study the interactions of these experts.

Gooch, John C. STC Proceedings (2001). Presentations>Scientific Communication>Workflow

The Dynamics and Challenges of Interdisciplinary Collaboration: A Case Study of 'Cortical Depth of Bench' in Group Proposal Writing  

This study contributes to a discussion on collaboration and technical/professional communication in indeterminate zones or less familiar sites for collaboration. The interdisciplinary group for this case study collaborated to write a project proposal to solicit funds from the US government for constructing a test bed for immune buildings as a tactic for combating potential biological and chemical terrorist incidents. Their approach to collaboration coincided with several approaches previously addressed in professional and technical communication research. Novel and creative approaches emerged as a result of this collaboration, but in some instances, disciplinary differences, as manifested by disputes over concepts and terminologies, posed obstacles to collaboration. Such challenges necessitated strong leadership, which was also critical for managing group process.

Gooch, John C. Social Science Research Network (2005). Articles>Collaboration>Proposals