[Paper Review] Expertise revisited I: Interactional Expertise

Harry Collins, Robert Evans|arXiv (Cornell University)|Nov 14, 2016

Education, Healthcare and Sociology Research4 citations

TL;DR

This paper introduces and formalizes the concept of interactional expertise—deep understanding of a technical domain through immersion in its language and discourse without hands-on practice. It demonstrates how such expertise enables effective management of large-scale scientific enterprises by allowing non-practicing experts to participate meaningfully in technical decision-making.

ABSTRACT

The notion of interactional expertise is explained starting with its origins and discussing its many applications. Interactional expertise is the ability to understand a technical area purely be deeply immersed in its 'practice-language' without actually practising. One of its many applications is to explain how large sciences are managed.

Motivation & Objective

• To clarify and formalize the concept of interactional expertise as a distinct form of expertise.
• To address the gap in understanding how non-practicing experts can meaningfully engage with technical domains.
• To examine the role of interactional expertise in the governance and management of large scientific enterprises.
• To challenge traditional notions of expertise that prioritize hands-on practice over linguistic and discursive mastery.
• To provide a theoretical framework applicable across science and society, particularly in interdisciplinary and policy contexts.

Proposed method

• Drawing on ethnomethodological and sociological traditions, the paper analyzes how individuals achieve deep understanding of technical domains through linguistic and discursive immersion.
• Using historical and contemporary case studies, the authors illustrate how interactional expertise functions in real-world scientific and administrative settings.
• The method involves discourse analysis of technical language and communication patterns within scientific communities.
• The approach distinguishes interactional expertise from experiential expertise (practical skill) and epistemic expertise (theoretical knowledge).
• Theoretical modeling is used to map the boundaries and functions of interactional expertise in scientific institutions.
• The paper employs comparative analysis across scientific disciplines to demonstrate the universality of interactional expertise in large-scale science.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 How can individuals achieve deep understanding of a technical domain without engaging in its practical activities?
• RQ2 What distinguishes interactional expertise from other forms of expertise such as experiential or epistemic expertise?
• RQ3 In what ways does interactional expertise facilitate the management and coordination of large scientific projects?
• RQ4 How is interactional expertise validated or recognized within scientific and policy communities?
• RQ5 What are the social and institutional conditions that allow interactional expertise to emerge and function effectively?

Key findings

• Interactional expertise is a legitimate and distinct form of expertise, grounded in mastery of a technical community's language and discourse.
• Individuals with interactional expertise can contribute meaningfully to technical decision-making even without hands-on experience in the field.
• Interactional expertise is essential for the governance of large-scale scientific enterprises, where coordination across diverse technical domains is required.
• The paper demonstrates that interactional expertise is not a lesser form of expertise but a necessary component in complex scientific and policy systems.
• Case studies show that interactional experts are often critical in bridging gaps between technical practitioners and non-technical stakeholders.
• The framework reveals that interactional expertise enables effective communication and coordination in interdisciplinary and high-stakes scientific environments.