ABSTRACT
The execution of a project involving researchers from multiple disciplines is often beset with conceptual difficulties, theoretical differences, and downright misunderstandings. Perhaps the most pressing of these challenges is the fundamental disagreement across key terms and concepts. Because operational clarity is imperative for the successful execution of a multidisciplinary project (particularly in the context of a developing HSCB 'science'), a mechanism for standardizing terminology is paramount. In a project investigating the adaptive practices of terrorist organizations, this presentation describes the progress, challenges and emerging issues from an effort to develop an ontology for usc in interdisciplinary, multi-method collaborative research. Through the effective development of this ontology, psychologists, political scientists, communication scholars, and computer scientists were able to develop a common understanding of terms and concepts that had previously held different meanings in their respective disciplines. This presentation not only details the challenges associated with human, social, cultural, or behavioral research that employs multidisciplinary research teams, but provides suggestions for overcoming associated difficulties.
