Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) is concerned with investigating how people cooperate to solve problems
and how that cooperation can be automatically supported. It is an
interdisciplinary activity and the research group works closely with the
Sociology Department who carry out studies into the cooperative nature of
work.
Our work falls into the following categories:
Fundamental principles of cooperative systems
Lancaster coordinated the EC-funded COMIC project
which involved 10 research groups from 6 European countries.
The project established a range of methods, tools and techniques for the
development of cooperative systems. Many of these techniques have been
further investigated in more applied projects.
Information Requirements for CSCW
CSCW systems have mostly been built using an ad hoc approach to information
storage and management . As these systems mature, a more systematic approach
will be required and it is already clear that existing database management
systems lack a number of required facilities to support effective cooperative
work. A related project has been an investigation of configuration management
requirements for cooperative systems discussed above.
The computerisation of library catalogues has led to many people using
databases for study and research. Library use and browsing has always involved
collaboration and any observation of the library terminals will show that
this continues, with people leaning over screens and sharing ideas. We are
investigating how the information systems can be improved to support
cooperation both in, learning how to use the systems, and, in using them for
browsing information in Digital Libraries.
This new project, starting in January 1994, is investigating the use of
spatial metaphors, represented in virtual reality as a means of supporting
cooperation. This will involve exploration of both 2-D and 3-D virtual
presentation techniques and the development of distributed virtual worlds
to support cooperation.
Cooperative Sharing of Information
The use of shared information is central to the development of cooperative
systems. Our interest in this work focuses on the development of shared
information repositories, the visualisation of shared information and the
development of models of information sharing suitable for cooperative work.
Cooperative Systems Engineering Group |
Computing Dept |
Lancaster University
