In research, innovation is always a key to socio-economic advancement. However, no advancement is realized in isolation especially in areas where people live in scattered. This means when people come together, share ideas, and collaborate with one another, they would have the opportunity to achieve innovation. Collectivity (community) is the factor that pushes the flame of innovation in today’s world.
Therefore, when people collaborate with each other’s, they employ various perspectives such as expertise, and experiences to the round table in irrespective of their diversity of thought leading to new approaches, ideas that might have been unnoticed otherwise.
Added to that, collectivity (community) also allows people of different backgrounds share and learns from each other, build on each other’s strengths, and compensate for each other’s defects or shortcomings.
Collaboration is not limited to learning from each other, but also ensuring support and encouragement among parties to take risks and try new things, access to resources, knowledge, feedback, critique, among other significant elements. These elements enable individuals to bring new ideas, learn from failures and promote individual or institutional and advancement.
Ways to build community in research
Below are some tips to build and achieve community research:
(1) Participate in online forums and discussions
(2) Collaborate with colleagues from different disciplines and backgrounds.
(3) Attend conferences, workshops, and seminars
(4) Join research groups, clubs, and organizations
By working together, it is possible that innovative solutions to the world’s challenges can be achieved through collaboration and thereby making meaningful contributions to our fields!