Based on cases from the emergent field of multi-messenger astrophysics — an approach consisting in the combined study of radiation conveyed by mediators different in nature: neutrinos, photons in all frequencies, gravitational waves, and cosmic rays — I argue that the cooperative behavior of the scientists involved is primarily driven by epistemic requirements. To show this, I introduce and explore the notion of “epistemic constraint”, generally meaning any component of the world that prevents us from gaining some definite kind of knowledge in a specific manner and allows or promotes some other specific kind of knowledge in definite manners. Then I examine the interplay between theoretical frameworks and experimental endeavors within multi-messenger astrophysics. Here I emphasize the pivotal role of theoretical models in proposing experiments that necessitate a cooperative effort, thus narrowing the scientists’ choice about what kind of social behavior they should adopt to pursue their research.