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Pauline Mattsson

Senior lecturer

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Structuring a research infrastructure : A study of the rise and fall of a large-scale distributed biobank facility

Author

  • Anthony Larsson
  • Carl Savage
  • Mats Brommels
  • Pauline Mattsson

Summary, in English

This study analyses the perceived key interests, importance, influences and participation of different actors in harmonizing the processes and mechanisms of a distributed research infrastructure. It investigates the EU-funded initiative, BioBanking and Molecular Resource Infrastructure in Sweden (BBMRI.se), which seeks to harmonize the biobanking standards. The study interviews multiple actors involved throughout the development process. Their responses are analysed via a framework based on the IIED Stakeholder Power Analysis Tool. The BBMRI.se formation was facilitated by two parallel processes, with domestic and European/foreign origin, with leading scientists becoming ‘National Champions’. The respondents joined the organization under the premise that it would be a collaborative endeavour, but they were disappointed to learn the deliberative elements were more prevalent. In conclusion, the resulting autonomous structure caused disarray, while also fuelling interpersonal differences, ultimately leading to the closure of the infrastructure. Hence, it is necessary to clearly identify potential collaborative and deliberative elements already at the outset while also securing wider forms of communication between the participating actors, when establishing distributed research infrastructures. Moreover, while prior literature suggests that research infrastructures counteracts fragmentation, these results illustrate that this is not the case for this distributed research infrastructure.

Publishing year

2018-06-01

Language

English

Pages

196-222

Publication/Series

Social Science Information

Volume

57

Issue

2

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

SAGE Publications

Topic

  • Social Sciences Interdisciplinary

Keywords

  • BBMRI.se
  • biobanking
  • collaboration
  • deliberation
  • research infrastructure

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 0539-0184