Electronic Collaboration: A Practical Guide for Educators.

Ann Koufman-Frederick, Martha Lillie, Laurie Pattison-Gordon, Daniel Lynn Watt, and Richard Carter. The LAB at Brown University, 1999.

Athough Electronic Collaboration is written for educators, the concepts and tools described are useful for researchers and research administrators. With the proliferation of telecommunications, geographical limits for collaborations for proposal development, special projects and professional development have all but disappeared. Electronic Collaboration provides a practical and not too technical snapshot of various forms of electronic collaboration, which is defined as connecting "individuals electronically via the Internet using tools such as email or through access to sites on the World Wide Web."

The authors discuss tools and resources available and provide suggestions for use illustrated with examples (limited to education). Included are two excellent "how-to's" on building effective collaborations and moderating a collaboration that is applicable not only for electronic media but also for face-to face meetings.

The book is organized into five chapters that discuss the concept of electronic collaboration, ways to accomplish the collaboration, the environment of electronic collaboration, choosing the right technology and available resources. Aspects of each chapter deal with the most common activities: discussion groups focused around a specific topic or activity, the use of database and search engines for data collection and organization, means of sharing documents including simultaneous editing, synchronous communications (i.e., real time chat programs and videoconferencing) and online courses and workshops.

The Research Administration listserv, provided as a service by Health Research, Incorporated (www.hrinet.org), is a prime example of a useful discussion group. The GrantsWeb section of the SRA web site and its links illustrate document sharing in its simplest form. Two other major uses of electronic collaboration in research administration are document sharing for proposal development (especially simultaneous editing) and migration of some professional development activities provided at regional and national meetings to online courses and workshops.

One caveat not discussed and of significance, particularly in sharing documents for proposal development, is the security of electronic communications. An in-depth discussion is beyond the scope of the book and probably not particularly important for the intended audience, but security becomes most important when developing new research ideas or sharing proprietary information during project development and implementation.

Electronic Collaboration can be read easily in two hours and provides a good basic overview of the concepts, tools and use of telecommunications. The discussions of effective collaborations and moderating a collaborative effort are nuggets well worth exploring. Electronic Collaboration can also be downloaded free of charge in PDF format from www.lab.brown.edu/public/ocsc/collaboration.guide/index.shtml. It can also be ordered through The Northeast and Islands Regional Educational Laboratory at Brown University, 222 Richmond Street, Suite 300, Providence, RI, 02903-4226. Electronic Collaboration is 72 pages and is free for single copies.

William H. (Bill) Caskey, PhD) ("Electronic Collaboration: A Practical Guide for Educators") is Director of Research and Grants Administration at Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics in Kansas City, Mo.

Previously, he worked in research administration at a land grant university and a regional comprehensive university. Prior to becoming a research administrator, Caskey was a research microbiologist.