Effective Collaboration for Wicked Weather Problems: Lessons from WAS*IS

This research examines challenges associated with interdisciplinary research projects concentrating on wicked weather problems. The context for the study is a group of physical and social scientists and practitioners that have participated in a Weather and Society * Integrated Studies (WAS*IS) workshop sometime during 2005-2011. The results reveal that issues of tension and accountability, which can be particularly vexing in collaborative work, are not common elements of the WAS*IS collaborations discussed here. One reason for this may be the infusion of energy inherent in blending multiple disciplines and perspectives. This research also confirms the importance of contextual language and provides further evidence that asynchronous information exchange may not be optimal alone, but a combination of synchronous and asynchronous communication mediums is productive.