What You Need to Know
Why Collaborate At All?
The key benefits of Internet collaboration when writing are:
- It can pool the knowledge, experience, and research of many people
- Alliances, partnerships, and collaboration as align with the key values of the new economy; publishing compelling content can be an important result of collaboration and partnership
- Large-content projects can be managed better when there are more people working on the task
- Complex issues can become more manageable when addressed by a variety of experts
- Teamwork on a writing project can often achieve far superior results compared to a “lone ranger” approach; for example, one person may be an expert in the subject area while another may be a skilled writer who can translate this expertise into a readable format
What to Do
Consider Collaboration for Large Projects Especially
Collaboration is most suitable for large and complex-content projects that require the contribution of many kinds of expertise. In fact, such projects are perhaps only possible if a team of writers and editors and technicians mesh their efforts in pursuit of a common goal.
Get Everyone on the Same Page (Literally)
Before starting a collaborative writing project, it is important that everyone involved is clear on what the objectives are. A lot of people pushing content onto the Web can be an exercise in chaotic writing or it can be true teamwork. Collaboration will be vastly more difficult if the people involved do not know and respect each other. While it is possible for people who have never physically met to collaborate, it is highly recommended that the collaborative group get together at least once so that people know each other better. Phone calls and e-mails will only get a writing team so far; some personal contact is highly recommended.
When the group meets, make sure that a common style and tone are fully discussed and agreed upon. A short document (perhaps called a “Style Guide”) should be prepared that will clearly articulate the intended style and tone. Some sample material should be presented that will illustrate the desired end product. A glossary of common words and phrases that will be used should also be prepared. This will establish spelling conventions as well as intended meanings. What you are trying to do in all of this is to provide common ground on which you can build a written product.
Divide the Project Logically
Ideally, the writing project should be broken up into definable segments, each being allocated to a particular individual—preferably one who has some expertise in the work of that segment. One writer may do research for a particular area and write the first draft, while another will take that draft and add to it or refine it in some other way. Editing functions may be swapped, depending on who has written what. Co-writers can often be each other’s editor, which enhances the sense of teamwork. However, be careful about over-segmentation. Simply giving a group of people different sections to write is not necessarily collaboration. At all times, there needs to be a fixed, common focus on the objective of creating a cohesive and unified result.
Put One Person in Charge
If collaboration involves only two people, they may well be able to swap editorial functions and agree by consent. It is not necessary to appoint a chief for a team of two. Where a larger group is involved, however, there should be a single editor in charge who will ensure that the end result reflects the objectives and that the preferred style and tone are established at the outset. To be sure: Arguments can and will arise about how or to what extent particular subjects should be treated. This can be positive; constructive conflict is often the key to creativity. However, you need someone who can step in once the debate has run its course and make decisions so that the project does not degrade into pointless debate.
Provide Rewards and Remuneration
In a business setting—and in most other settings—people write for two basic reasons: to earn pay and to boost ego. This is true on a collaborative writing project on the Internet. How people are compensated (monetarily) and rewarded psychologically are equally important. The best place to start on this is for the chief of the project to talk to each person involved to pin down what each person is looking for in being part of the project. The chief should then be empowered to provide a reward structure that works for all.
What to Avoid
You Post the Wrong Version
When involved in collaborative writing, nothing is more frustrating than finding that you have been working on the wrong draft of a document. Specialized document management software can be used here; but if this is not available, then the editor should be in charge of keeping the master (most current) draft. One very useful tool for tracking changes between versions is the “Track Changes” facility in Microsoft Word(r), which can be found in the Tools menu.
Where to Learn More
Book:
Hammerich, Irene and Claire Harrison.
Web Sites:
Kolabora’s “Collaborative Writing Tools And Technology: A Mini-Guide”: www.kolabora.com/news/2007/03/01/collaborative_writing_tools_and_technology.htm
Sylvie Noël’s “Collaborative Writing Systems Available on the Web”: www.sylvienoel.ca/links_cw_e.html
