This is Not a Boundary Object: Reflections on the Origin of a Concept

There are three components to boundary objects as outlined in the original 1989 article. Interpretive flexibility, the structure of informatic and work process needs and arrangements, and, finally, the dynamic between ill-structured and more tailored uses of the objects. Much of the use of the conce...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science, technology, & human values technology, & human values, 2010-09, Vol.35 (5), p.601-617
Main Author: Star, Susan Leigh
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Archives
Astronomical objects
Biology
Boundary objects
Collaboration
Communities
Conceptualization
Ecology
Flexibility
General points
History of science and technology
History of science in relation to other disciplinary fields
Information
Infrastructure
Knowledge
Marginalization
Methodology
Philosophy
Sociological analysis
Sociology
Standardization
Structural analysis
Work organization
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Summary:There are three components to boundary objects as outlined in the original 1989 article. Interpretive flexibility, the structure of informatic and work process needs and arrangements, and, finally, the dynamic between ill-structured and more tailored uses of the objects. Much of the use of the concept has concentrated on the aspect of interpretive flexibility and has often mistaken or conflated this flexibility with the process of tacking back-and-forth between the ill-structured and well-structured aspects of the arrangements. Boundary objects are not useful at just any level of scale or without full consideration of the entire model. The article discusses these aspects of the architecture of boundary objects and includes a discussion of one of the ways that boundary objects appeared as a concept in earlier work done by Star. It concludes with methodological considerations about how to study the system of boundary objects and infrastructure.
ISSN:0162-2439
1552-8251
DOI:10.1177/0162243910377624