Need for collaboration... (1 Viewer)

[nero_46]

Chemical Monitoring and Management

9.4.1 Dot point 2

Identify the need for collaboration between chemists as they collect and analyse data.

is this so that they know what each other has discovered ... or is there some other reason ??

 

[jims]

its because chemists specialise in particular fields, but to do work, u usually have to incorporate several fields of science. so they have to collaborate otherwise they wont get very far on their own.
in a polymer manufacturing plant, for example, the polymer chemists would need to collaborate with the analytical chemists to make sure their reactions r going ok. or something like that. im sure u can think of something more realistic.

 

[Dangar]

yeah i did the polymer chemist one as well... i said that when they looked at proposals by the research chemists they look at problems of contamination, packaging, flow rate etc. This involves collaboration between the polymer chemist, research chemist and technicians. I got that off a web site... is there such a thing as a research chemist?
I think that whole page of the syllabus is stupid. What about the dot in the students learn column. Do we need to know a generic job description or an actual chemist and their specific work in greater detail??

 

[inasero]

i reckon this is one hell of a stoopid question....becuase its not really testing your knowledge about chemistry....

so therefore just rave on about something which you think theyd want to hear...jims raised a good point there about the fact that chemists usually specialise, so collaborating cam help them to frame their collective experiences into a wider perspective and to approach issues from different angles...

 

[iambored]

i've got

Scientists need to collaborate with each other to:
' Share research and theories
' Improve techniques in analysing theories
' Provide opportunities for all scientists to develop their theories

i think i got it from a text book

 

[Giant Lobster]

The main reason is that because no one person today are adequately trained in all disciplines of chemistry. To get a job done, teamwork is required, and thus calls for collaboration. A bit overtly summarised, but you get the idea.

 

[braindrainedAsh]

There is something like this in the Biology syllabus too. Well, basically, I'm planning on raving on that it is because different chemists have specialized areas, you can repeat pracs many times when collaborating so that way you get more reliable results, collaborating may give new ideas or insights in to problem solving that a chemist working solo might not have considered etc.

It is a silly dot point.

 

[Toodulu]

Chemistry is such a broad discipline that chemists tend to specialise in particular parts, such as physical, analytical, organic, inorganic, environmental and industrial chemistry or in chemical engineering. Such specialisation usually starts during university training of chemists and develops further during on-the-job training and with professional experience.

Many chemical problems in the real world require expertise from more than just one branch of chemistry. This is particularly true in industry where the production of a particular product can require detailed knowledge of physical chemistry (equilibrium and rate considerations), organic chemistry (how the reaction occurs and how to optimise yield), analytical chemistry (to monitor quality of raw materials and the product), industrial chemistry or chemical engineering (to be able to 'scale up' a laboratory experiment to industrial production quantities with inherent problems of energy inputs or outputs and mass flows and materials to use for safe handling) and environmental chemistry (to appreciate the significance of possible wastes and how to manage them in an environmentally responsible way). Solving such broad-ranging and complex problems requires input from many chemists with different specialties, and they cannot solve their aspect of the problem in isolation: it may have implications for other aspects being handled by other chemists. Therefore it is essential that chemists work collaboratively, regularly talk to one another and exchange their different viewpoints about problems as they arrive.

This need to collaborate means that chemists must have good communication skills V that they are able to communicate essential aspects of their particular sub-disciplines to others not expert in the same fields without using too much specialised jargon.

In addition the ability of chemists with different backgrounds to see problems in different lights V that is to bring different perspectives to the problem V can often lead to quicker and more effective solutions than one chemist working alone with quite restricted experiences and viewpoints.

In the environmental field collaboration between scientists (not just chemists) is even more important for the efficient solution of problems. Environmental problems often require input from chemists (who do analysis), microbiologists (who monitor organisms), botanists and horticulturalists (who can identify problems for flora and crops), ecologists (who oversee the interrelationships between organisms, plants and animals), geologists (who can determine the effects of constructions and earth-moving), hydrologists (who study changing water-flow patterns) and engineers (who design and supervise the construction of major works). As the work of one scientist or engineer has consequences for other areas of science or the environment, it is essential that all professionals involved work in close collaboration and talk to each other on a frequent and regular basis. And again good communication skills with the avoidance of excessive technical jargon is essential.

hope this helps.