Future practices of interdisciplinary research in collective animal behaviour

The field of collective animal behaviour has developed a rich interdisciplinary culture to uncover the behavioural mechanisms that underlie the collective patterns and dynamics of animal societies. Specifically, this field has been successful in combining empirical studies mainly performed in the laboratory with modelling approaches drawn from mathematics and physics. Ongoing technological advances such as virtual reality systems, drone recordings and automated tracking or artificial intelligence continue to reshape the methodological landscape demanding a further strengthening of interdisciplinary practices. Here, we describe several current research questions and approaches that we anticipate to be fundamental in the future. We investigate how these future research directions are poised to engage an expanding set of disciplines to further complement and extend current collaborations. We will also examine the challenges our field faces in encompassing a growing number of research practices, along with potential practical steps for addressing them. We discuss the importance of developing broader interdisciplinary practices and structures to advance our understanding of collective behaviour.