What is Collaboration?

 

"What we don’t want is the kind of conversation that shifts from 'Here’s what I’m thinking, I’m going to think out loud, let’s help me develop my argument and think about its implications' to 'What do you think I should think about some question?' Because we’re not interested in what your roommate thinks about the question; what we’re interested in is what you think." - Prof. Eric Nelson

 

+ The Scholarly Conversation: Eavesdropping Versus Taking a Seat at the Table

Collaborating with other smart, passionate people can be one of life’s great rewards, whether you are formulating a previously unknown insight or uncovering a relationship between variables that no one before you had noticed. Having dedicated friends and colleagues who are willing to push your thinking or question your presuppositions and assumptions, and who can help you anticipate all possible problems, counterarguments, and objections is a wonderful experience. And in all truly collaborative ventures, reciprocity is involved: you need to earn a seat at the scholarly table through productive participation.

But when does collaborative research and discussion shade into taking credit for others’ work? For researchers? For students in a course setting?

+ Speaking with Authority: Moving Between Consumption and Production of Knowledge

(coming soon)