The Research Web:
Asynchronous Collaboration in
Social Scientific Research

by Charles S. Hendricksen

Table of Contents

	Front Matter
	Chapter 1 --- Introduction
	1.1 Importance of the Topic
	1.2 Key Assumptions, Novelty, and Bias
	1.2.1 Assumptions
	1.2.2 Conflict with existing methods
	1.2.3 Bias
	1.3 Examples of Large-scale Collaboration
	1.3.1 National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (NCGIA)
	1.3.2 Cochrane Collaboration
	1.3.3 MacArthur Foundation: Research Networks
	1.3.4 Daimler-Benz Foundation
	1.3.5 What's Missing?
	1.4 Geographical Aspects of the Research
	1.4.1 The Benefits of Collaboration for Geography
	1.4.2 The Influence of Geographic Distance on Scientific Collaboration
	1.4.3 The Influence of Geographic Differentiation on Collaboration
	1.5 Contribution to Knowledge
	1.6 Organization of Dissertation
	Chapter 2 --- Models, Research Process, and Collaboration: A Review of Literature
	2.1 Scientific Realism and Models
	2.1.1 The Source Model
	2.1.2 The Descriptive Model
	2.1.3 The Explanatory Model
	2.1.4 The Simulation Model
	2.1.5 Grounding of the Use of Models
	2.1.6 Validation by Correspondence with Systems Analysis Practice
	2.2 Adapting the Existing Research Environment to Collaboration
	2.2.1 Research as a Literary Enterprise
	2.2.2 Research as a Dynamic and Open System
	2.2.3 Reward Systems in Research
	2.2.3.1 Rewards in Practice
	2.2.3.1.1 Received Rewards
	2.2.3.1.2 Granted Rewards
	2.2.3.2 Determining and Distributing Rewards
	2.2.3.3 Penalties
	2.2.4 Participation and Collaboration
	2.2.4.1 Participation as a Covering Term for Interaction
	2.2.4.2 Communication as Participation
	2.2.4.3 Cooperation as Participation
	2.2.4.4 Coordination as Participation
	2.2.4.5 Contribution as Participation
	2.2.4.6 Collaboration as Participation
	2.2.4.6.1 Contribution of Content
	2.2.4.6.2 Collaboration in Development of Content
	2.2.4.6.3 Collaboration for Labor-sharing
	2.2.4.6.4 Collaboration for Credibility
	2.2.4.6.5 Collaboration for Community
	2.2.4.6.6 Collaboration for Posterity
	2.2.4.6.7 Collaboration through Criticism
	2.2.4.6.8 Mandated Collaboration
	2.2.4.7 Cooperation in Supporting the RW
	2.2.4.7.1 Institutional Support
	2.2.4.7.2 Personal Support
	2.2.5 Barriers to Collaboration
	2.2.5.1 Ownership
	2.2.5.2 Copyright
	2.2.5.3 Tenure and Promotion
	2.2.5.4 Institutional Barriers
	2.2.5.5 Scholarly Competition
	2.2.5.6 Funding Mechanisms
	2.2.5.7 Human Culture
	2.3 A Methodology for Framing a Collaborative Research
	2.3.1 VNS: An abstraction of an ideal research process
	2.3.2.1 The Substantive Domain
	2.3.2.2 The Conceptual Domain
	2.3.2.3 The Methodological Domain
	2.3.2 The Research Domains
	2.3.3 The Stages
	2.3.3.1 Stage 1
	2.3.3.2 Stage 2
	2.3.3.3 Stage 3
	2.3.4 The Study Paths
	2.4 Technology to Support Communication
	2.4.1 Communication Modes
	2.4.1.1 The Time/Place Collaboration Matrix
	2.4.1.2 Synchronous modes
	2.4.1.3 Asynchronous modes
	2.4.2 Computer-Mediated Communication
	2.4.2.1 Dialog
	2.4.2.2 Criticism
	2.5 A Conceptual Framework for Research Collaboration
	Chapter 3 --- The Research Web
	3.1 The Concept
	3.1.1 Defining the Issue Domain
	3.1.2 Determining the Audiences
	3.1.3 Defining the Vocabulary
	3.2 Five Aspects of a Research Web
	3.2.1 The Research Web as an Application of Critical Social Theory
	3.2.2 The Research Web as an Information Product
	3.2.3 The Research Web as a Knowledge Transformation Process
	3.2.4 The Research Web as a Genre System
	3.2.4.1  The Essay Genre
	3.2.4.2  The Model Genres
	3.2.4.2.1  Representation of the Models
	3.2.4.2.2  The Process of Modeling in the Research Web
	3.2.4.3  The FAQ Genre
	3.2.4.4  The Home Page Genre
	3.2.4.5  The Meeting Minutes Genre
	3.2.5 The Research Web as Argumentation
	3.2.5.1  Argumentation Capabilities in the Research Web
	3.2.5.2  Measurement of Quality of Argumentation
	3.3 Models as an Organizing Principle for Navigation
	3.3.1 The Descriptive model
	3.3.2 The Explanatory Model
	3.3.3 The Simulation Model
	3.3.3.1 Validation in the Simulation Model
	3.3.3.2  Hypothesis Investigation in the Simulation Model
	3.4 The Essays
	3.4.1 Essays as a Communication Genre
	3.4.2 Essays as Work Objects
	3.4.3 Essays as Canonical Documents
	3.4.4 The Integrated Structure of Essays
	3.4.4.1 The HyperDocument Format
	3.4.4.2 High Performance Scholarship
	3.5 Web Site Architecture
	3.5.1 Functional Partitions
	3.5.2 The Team's Private Working Area
	3.5.2.1 Home Page and Internal Link
	3.5.2.2 Infrastructural Pages
	3.5.2.2.1 Introductory Material
	3.5.2.2.2 Services
	3.5.2.2.3 Minutes, Reports and Plans
	3.5.2.2.4 Discussion Groups and Discussion Archives
	3.5.2.3 Searching
	3.5.2.4 Scholarly Content
	3.5.2.4.1 Models
	3.5.2.4.2 Research Web Essays
	3.5.2.4.3; Data Resources
	3.5.2.4.4 Authoring Partitions
	3.5.3 Information Design
	3.6 The Research Team
	3.6.1 Abstract Roles (Styles)
	3.6.2 Functional Roles
	3.6.2.1 Convener
	3.6.2.2 Scientific Coordinator
	3.6.2.3 Project Leader
	3.6.2.4 The Collaborator
	3.6.2.4.1 Responsibility for personal participation
	3.6.2.4.2 Team member
	3.6.2.4.3 Invited peer
	3.6.2.4.4 Member of scientific community (literature)
	3.6.2.5 Lead Author
	3.6.2.6 Facilitator
	3.6.3 Potential Rewards
	Chapter 4 --- The Tools of the Research Web
	4.1 E-Mail
	4.1.1 Searchable E-mail Archives
	4.1.2 MailRoom
	4.1.3 Listserver
	4.2 The World Wide Web
	4.2.1 Browsers
	4.2.2 CGI programs
	4.2.3 Helpers, plug-ins, and other programming
	4.2.4 Calendar
	4.2.5 Discussion Groups
	4.2.6 Development Tools
	4.3 DocReview
	4.3.1 Universal Commenting Facility
	4.3.2 Applying DocReview to Documents
	4.3.3 Managing the DocReviews
	4.4 The Annotated HyperBibliography
	4.4.1 Preparing the Bibliography
	4.4.2 The Interface File
	4.4.3 Creating, Updating and Maintaining the AHB
	4.4.4 Uses for the AHB
	4.5 The Annotated HyperGlossary
	4.6 The EssayAssistant
	4.7 What's New?
	4.8 Lexicon
	4.9 Other Tools
	4.9.1 PicReview
	4.9.2 The Landscape of Reason
	Chapter 5 --- Empirical Investigations
	5.1 Case Studies of DocReview Installations
	5.1.1 Research Questions
	5.1.2 Design of Data Collection System
	5.1.3 Quantitative Descriptive Statistics
	5.1.4 Qualitative Coding Systems
	5.1.5 Qualitative Coding Reliability
	5.1.6 Analytical Results
	5.1.7 Conclusions
	5.2 Case Studies of Research Webs
	5.2.1 History of Research Web Technology
	5.2.2 Research Questions
	5.2.3 Design of Data Collection System
	5.2.4 The Research Webs
	5.2.4.1 Migration Prototype Research Web
	5.2.4.2 CREAT and The Chromium VI Research Web
	5.2.4.2.1 Mission and RW Topic
	5.2.4.2.2 Organization
	5.2.4.2.3 Focus
	5.2.4.2.4 Case Study Data
	5.2.4.2.5 The Web Site
	5.2.4.2.6 Conscription Devices
	5.2.4.2.7 Participation Profile
	5.2.4.3 Soil Crusts RW
	5.2.4.3.1 Mission and Topic
	5.2.4.3.2 Organization
	5.2.4.3.3 Focus
	5.2.4.3.4 Case Study Data
	5.2.4.3.5 The Web Site
	5.2.4.3.6 Conscription Devices
	5.2.4.3.7 Participation Profile
	5.2.4.4 Earthquake Disaster Mitigation
	5.2.4.4.1 Mission and Topic
	5.2.4.4.2 Organization
	5.2.4.4.3 Process
	5.2.4.4.4 Case Study Data
	5.2.4.4.5 The Web Site
	5.2.4.4.6 Conscription Devices
	5.2.4.4.7 Participation Profile
	5.2.5 Case Study Analysis
	5.2.5.1 Research Question 1: A diffuse focus for the RW will likely result in little participation.
	5.2.5.2 Research Question 2: What were the geographic distribution effects on the RW?
	5.2.5.3 Research Question 3: How many people were invited to participate in the Research Web?
	5.2.5.4 Research Question 4: What incentive(s) did each of the participants have to participate?
	5.2.6 Conclusions
	5.3 Discussion
	5.3.1 The Optimal Environment for a Research Web
	5.3.2 The Research Web Compared to Conventional Research Teams
	5.3.3 The Tools of the Research Web
	Chapter 6 --- Conclusions and Prospects for Research Using Research Webs
	6.1 Contribution to Knowledge
	6.2 Conclusions from Empirical Findings About Research Webs and Tools
	6.3 Prospects for Research Using the Research Web Contribution to Knowledge
	6.4 Prospects for Research About Research Webs
	6.5 Concluding Remarks
	List of References