American Institute of Physics. Center for History of Physics. Study of Multi-Institutional Collaborations.
Study of Multi-Institutional Collaborations Phase III oral history interviews: ground-based astronomy, materials science, heavy-ion and nuclear physics, medical physics, and computer-mediated collaborations, 1996-1997.
In this third and last phase of the study, five disciplinary fields were studied: ground-based astronomy (divided into observatory builders and observatory users), materials science, heavy-ion and nuclear physics, and medical physics, plus a new category named computer-mediated collaborations in which new techniques of computer science and technology provided a core aspect of the research. A conscience effort was made to look to the future, which meant that these collaborations may not have published research findings. Twenty-one collaborations served as case studies plus three selected for the computer-mediated category. Altogether 78 interviews with scientists who could serve as "informants" were conducted; interview transcripts were analyzed for historical and archival information. Sociologists on the team analyzed all project interviews and produced a typology for multi-institutionsl collaborations. Numerous site visits were made to federal science agencies and the National Archives and Records Administration to discuss archival issues and records policies. Project staff: Joan Warnow-Blewett, project director, Spencer Weart, associate project director, Joel Genuth, project historian, Anthony Capitos, project archivist, Ivan Chompalov, project sociologist, and Wesley Shrum, consulting sociologist.
A documentation research project to study the complex issues facing the historical documentation of multi-institutional collaborations in physics and allied sciences. The project aimed to identify patterns of collaboration, records creation, and use; define the documentation problems; field test possible solutions to these problems; and recommend future actions to secure adequate documentation and facilitate future study. Phase I focused on collaborative research in high-energy physics (completed 1992), Phase II addressed collaborative research in space science and geophysics (completed 1995), and Phase III focused on four disciplinary areas of ground-based astronomy, materials science, heavy-ion physics, and medical physics, and a category named computer-mediated collaborations. A final report focuses on comparisons of the various fields studied as well as broad questions of documentation policy and practice.
Accelerators.
Astronomical observatories.
Astronomical observatories -- Design and construction.
Astronomy -- Documentation.
Group work in research.
Materials science -- Documentation.
Medical physics -- Documentation.
Nuclear physics -- Documentation.
Physics -- Archival resources.
Physics -- Research -- Documentation.
Sociology -- Research.
Sociology -- Statistical methods.
Telescopes.
American Institute of Physics. Center for History of Physics. Study of Multi-Institutional Collaborations.
Capitos, Anthony, archivist.
Chompalov, Ivan. sociologist.
Genuth, Joel, historian.
Shrum, Wesley, 1953- sociologist.
Warnow-Blewett, Joan. 1931- project director.
Weart, Spencer R., 1942- associate director.
American Institute of Physics) Center for History of Physics
AIP-ICOS
American Institute of Physics. Niels Bohr Library & Archives. One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA