personally, I am totally with the team work which provides the opportunity for different specialties to work and complete the research in the best way and the best results.....
I pretty much only work alone, as I'm not part of a research institution. I wouldn't mind working with other researchers, but I think I'd prefer to work alone, when possible. It allows me to keep track of everything. If I were to work with others on a project, I think I would prefer to work in a coordinating position, rather than as a co-researcher.
And that's actually one of my goals, and reasons why I am focusing on so many different disciplines. If I eventually become well rounded enough, and a good enough project manager, I would like to act as a project manager/coordinator on multidisciplinary research projects.
** Edit: And I just realized that I'm the only one so far to say that they prefer to work alone. Oh well...
I am working alone and in a group depending on the situation. If the task is easy e to tackle on my own without requiring collective brainstorming, I work on my own. However, if the assignment is a high priority one or is too much for one person to handle, I welcome working with a team to tackle the project together.
1. A lot of people have answered that team work is better, as it gives higher quality results. I think that the validity of this position depends on the size of the project. It may be that a single person is more than enough for the task, or that 2 - 3 people are enough. It's also the case that larger groups aren't necessarily better. The right size group (even a group of 1) for the job is what we want.
2. The OP asked what people prefer. People are answering by saying that it is better to work in a team. Even if it is better to work in groups, that doesn't mean that a person prefers it.
Definitely, working as part of team is better as it help us to find our mistakes and improve our knowledge, practices, skills and attitudes regarding writing and submitting a research
Sometimes you are placing plausible (understandable by itself) \ rhetorical questions. This question is of such a nature. When writing a report on some research, it is enough for your co-author to constantly ask the question "Why is that?" and the text becomes better in your quest to offer conceived answers to his questions.
Often it happens naturally. Somebody worked as a “second number” with someone, then suggested that he make next article on own material, i.e. as leader. After that did something on his own.
There are people who cannot work alone. They are righteous "team" workers. Although I know few hardened singles, too.
By the way, a good squire is no less valuable than a powerful knight. "Every person in his place." As for me, I can work both in a team and alone. But a couple of times I was a leader ... It's terrible, I'm disgusted with myself. How I was tolerated by the staff - they are very courageous and resistant people ...
Team work is ideal in all aspects of life, but sometimes is difficult to have synchrony in chemistry of all members. so you need to be patient, wise and expert to deal with problems arising during team work
In my view, comparing with doing research individually, performing research activities within a coherent team has its own advantages including saving time and cost to some considerable extent, improving quality of work to some degree, sharing the ideas, further learning about new issues, sharing the findings, opportunities for discussing about the findings of the research as well as challenges of the research under consideration, and so forth.
I prefer working in a team, however I am disappointed to say that I often find myself working alone.
I prefer a team as this allows for multiple perspectives, wide range of expertise and methodology to try to investigate the complex and inter-related challenges of the 21st century. In short, bringing a team together might provide the diversity required to investigate and overcome the major challenges of our time. A team can allow us to understand the 'big picture', and I think this is paramount in the fast paced reality of post-modernity.
I prefer to carry out research alone as this way gives me immense satisfaction of achieving something and finally I get full credit of my work. However, if the work requires good amount of experimentation, then I recommend to carry out in a team of like minded researchers.
Working in a team comes with much benefits as they say "Two (or more) good heads are better than one". It is a matter of perspective, idea contributions, shortened time in reaching goals and shared efforts, make work easier. Team work even allows for division of labour and inclusion of experts from diverse field.