Collaborative writing in a digital environment

Abstract

In most professional settings writing is very much a collaborative project. However, it is quite surprising that after more than a decade of selling commercial software to support collaborative writing, little software is able to maintain and facilitate human collaboration adequately. Cerrato (2003) demonstrates that a lot of the di1culties that arise when using collaborative software seem to arise from the underlying assumptions about the collaborative activity that have formed the basis in the design process of the computer-mediated collaborative writing programs. Her andings revealed that the use of collaborative writing systems encompassed a rather restricted view of collaboration in the context of creative activities such as writing. A description of these complex activities is conveniently reviewed by Lowry et al (2004). Lowry, Paul B. et al. (2004). Building a taxonomy and nomenclature of Collaborative Writing to improve Interdisciplinary Research and Practice. Journal of Business Communication, 41(1), 66–99.