In sociology and science and technology studies, a boundary object is information, such as specimens, field notes, and maps, used in different ways by different communities for collaborative work through scales.[1] Boundary objects are plastic, interpreted differently across communities but with enough immutable content (i.e., common identity across social words and contexts) to maintain integrity.
The concept was introduced by Susan Leigh Star and James R. Griesemer in a 1989 publication (p. 393):[2][3]
Boundary objects are objects which are both plastic enough to adapt to local needs and constraints of the several parties employing them, yet robust enough to maintain a common identity across sites. They are weakly structured in common use, and become strongly structured in individual-site use. They may be abstract or concrete. They have different meanings in different social worlds but their structure is common enough to more than one world to make them recognizable, a means of translation. The creation and management of boundary objects is key in developing and maintaining coherence across intersecting social worlds.
In their article, Star and Griesemer describe the importance of boundary objects and methods standardization in the development of the Berkeley Museum of Vertebrate Zoology. Boundary objects can be abstract or concrete (e.g., digital technologies or abstract ideas); so in this case some of the boundary objects that they list include specimens, field notes, and maps of particular territories. These objects interact with members of various social groups (including amateur collectors and museum professionals) but are used to very different ends by each (p. 408).[2] These differing interpretations represent the "interpretive flexibility" of boundary objects.[1]
^ abLeigh Star, Susan (2010-09-01). "This is Not a Boundary Object: Reflections on the Origin of a Concept". Science, Technology, & Human Values. 35 (5): 601–617. doi:10.1177/0162243910377624. ISSN 0162-2439. S2CID 220874611.
^ abStar, Susan; Griesemer, James (1989). "Institutional Ecology, 'Translations' and Boundary Objects: Amateurs and Professionals in Berkeley's Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, 1907-39" (PDF). Social Studies of Science. 19 (3): 387–420. doi:10.1177/030631289019003001. S2CID 112710658.
^Typically the concept is referenced to the Social Studies of Science publication; however, the authors themselves (endnote 15) reference the concept to Susan Leigh Star, '[The Structure of Ill-Structured Solutions: Boundary Objects and Heterogeneous Distributed Problem Solving', in M. Hubs and L. Gasser (eds), Readings in Distributed Artificial Intelligence 3 (Menlo Park, CA: Morgan Kaufmann, 1989).
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