A study exploring the collaborative relationships among Taiwanese fishery scientists

Abstract

Background. Collaborative relationships support the progress of scientific research by providing a collaborator access to resources, skills, information, and technologies. Studies have highlighted the importance of collaborative relationships among scientists. However, less attention has been paid to the characteristics of the relationships. Objectives. This study identified two key concepts, intellectual and social, as a theoretical approach to investigate collaborative relationships among scientists. Methods.Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 27 Taiwanese fishery scientists at the Taiwan Fisheries Research Institute, the Academia Sinica, the National Taiwan University, the National Taiwan Ocean University, and the National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium. Results. The results reveal that intellectual relationships among fishery scientists involve solving research puzzles collaboratively, giving informal comments on colleagues’ work, and seeking professional recognition. Fishery scientists shape social relationships through academic activities such as collaborating with thesis supervisors as co-authors, selecting research partners according to their professional ability, and contributing to a local or global fish database for building individual professional identity. The fishery scientists considered co-authorship as a core requirement to maintain collaborative relationships. Support from thesis supervisors is important for facilitating collaborative relationships. This support affects the selection of known people as research partners, instead of selecting partners from different countries.