Virtual Research Collaboration and Technology Application

Abstract

Virtual collaboration has come of age in the last decade, with industry and academia using the latest web-based collaborative software to bring together groups of workers to work on common tasks. Most innovations result from collaborative efforts between groups of workers who are often geographically dispersed. Academic leaders now seek the synergies that result from collaboration between their research faculty and others. Web 2.0-based research portals have emerged that allow knowledge sharing and lowering of social barriers between researchers. These tools allow researchers in both industry and academia to extend their range and reach, gain synergies between dispersed groups, and increase research efficiency and effectiveness. The present chapter aims to understand the drivers, motivations, and constraints in virtual research collaboration across borders or geographical locations. It will also help to identify the fit between these infrastructures and organizational e-research collaboration needs.