Relationships and Tasks in Scientific Research Collaboration

Abstract

In creating computer-based systems, we work within a perspective that shapes the design questions that will be asked and the kinds of solutions that are sought. This article introduces a perspective based on language as action, and explores its consequences for system design. We describe a communication tool called The Coordinator, which was designed from a language/action perspective; and we suggest how further aspects of coordinated work might be addressed in a similar style. The language/action perspective is illustrated with an example based on studies of nursing work in a hospital ward and contrasted to other currently prominent perspectives.

Research Collaboration as “Layers of Engagement”: INKE in Year Four

“…As seen in Figure 1, research collaboration undergoes certain stages with specific relationship-and task-oriented steps that must be accomplished at each stage (Kraut, Galegher, & Egido, 1987;Lowry, Curtis, & Lowry, 2004). During the first stage, at the relationship level, a team in formation focuses on finding partners and developing the shared mental model of the research project, along with establishing appropriate research methodologies and the division of academic credit.…”

“…Once a team is successful in securing the necessary resources, it must focus on building from the grant application to more specific articulations of ways that members will work together and achieve task completion (Siemens & INKE Research Group, 2012b, 2012c. From there, the team must supervise and sustain the actual research by establishing trust, sharing information, coordinating key activities, and accomplishing research outcomes and outputs, and final disseminating outcomes (Kraut et al, 1987;Lowry et al, 2004). At all stages, the team relies on multiple communication channels, formal and informal meetings, online project spaces, and project charters (Siemens, 2010b).…”

Initial Experience in Moving Key Academic Department Functions to Social Networking Sites

“…Research collaboration among computer science faculty, students, and external collaborators can be described as a workflow that involves the following activities (Kraut et al, 1987;Ding et al, 2010 …”

“…In the distant past, research collaboration was largely ad-hoc (Kraut et al, 1987;Ding et al, 2010). Code and documents were exchanged by email or removable media, although early version control systems such as SCCS and RCS were used for more systematic collaborative document authoring and code development.…”

Toward a more structured use of information technology in the research community

“…Research networks are goal-oriented networks of professionals that focus on supporting certain stages of the research process. Most of the literature on scientific work processes analyzes relatively basic, but already hard to specify article-authoring tasks involving relatively few authors, such as outlined by (Kraut et al 1987). The planning and conduct of research activities and the dissemination and implementation of the results by research networks are even more difficult to model (de Moor 1994).…”