e-Research Collaboration: Theory, Techniques and Challenges

The shift of paradigm from collaborations of convenience to collaborations of opportunity using Web 2.0 technologies is called Research 2.0. Research 2.0 is becoming a critical component in research management and collaboration and has led to the creation of new research networks such as MyNetResearch. Many universities are familiar with the concepts of Web 2.0 including Wikis, blogs, and social networking tools, but have not implemented these tools holistically in a research setting. Unfortunately, many researchers have difficulties either to understand how to implement the change in paradigm associated with online collaboration, or else cannot convince the university administrators of the value of a research cyberinfrastructure. Universities are under increasing pressure to embrace the Research 2.0 paradigm in order to stay competitive, attract the best students and faculty, publish, apply for research grants, and empower their stakeholders in all aspects.