Email-free collaboration: An exploratory study on the formation of new work habits among knowledge workers

Social collaboration technologies have rapidly spread across organizations, offering a unique opportunity to improve the exchange of knowledge among employees, especially in distributed work environments. The increasing popularity of social-collaboration tools as an employee-oriented communication channel, inevitably raises questions about the future of email as its intensive use by knowledge workers is more and more perceived as being inefficient and unproductive. Through a quantitative case study methodology, this study seeks to explore the role played by the notion of habit in explaining employee knowledge sharing capability for firms implementing social collaborative practices in the context of no-email initiatives. Data collected within a large international IT services company, which is among the first firms having made such shift, were used to test the developed conceptual model. The findings suggest that habit is positively influenced by relative advantage and perceived ease of use while relative advantage was found to positively impact knowledge sharing capability. Besides, habit moderates the relationships between three attributes (relative advantage, perceived ease of use, and compatibility to a lesser extent) and knowledge sharing capability. Theoretical and practical implications developed from these findings are then discussed.     

A novel proof of useful work for a blockchain storing transportation transactions

Proof-of-Work (PoW) is a common mechanism used to validate peer-to-peer transactions and maintain highly secured immutability of the blockchain. However, this mechanism has been criticized due to its inefficient use of computing resources and its limited usefulness. In this paper, we propose the Proof-of-Useful-Work (PoUW) as an alternative mechanism for transaction validation that puts the squandered computing resources to beneficial use. The main premise is to replace the mathematical puzzle, which constitutes a fundamental part of the Proof-of-Work mechanism, with NP-hard optimization problems whose solutions benefit the participants of the blockchain. We demonstrate its usefulness in the context of transportation. Accordingly, PoUW-based blockchain not only tracks, manages and validates transactions, but also optimizes transportation requests profiting its ecosystem. We describe the framework of the proposed PoUW along with the associated optimization model and the miner’s reward mechanism.     

基于合作全球图的专利国际合作分析

为辅助国际合作分析与管理,提出合作全球图。经过分析现有网络图、网络地理组合图,合作全球图将合作网络图融合全球地理图,以点的大小表示合作次数,用边揭示合作行为,在全球地理图上完整显示国际合作网络信息。实验表明,锂电池专利合作全球网络中,国家合作被北美合作网络、西欧合作网络、东亚合作网络主宰,美国、德国、法国、日本、韩国、中国是当之无愧的六强霸主,Centre Nat,Univ Tsinghua分别位居申请人合作的冠亚军。由此可见,合作全球图有助于国际合作分析、国际合作管理等。     

Research collaboration at a distance: Changing spatial patterns of scientific collaboration within Europe

This study analyses the changing effect of physical distance and territorial borders (regional, national, language) on the intensity of research collaboration across European regions. Using data on all co-publications between 313 regions in 33 European countries for the period 2000-2007, we find that the bias to collaborate with physically proximate partners did not decrease, while the bias towards collaboration within territorial borders did decrease over time. Our results show that the ongoing process of European integration is removing territorial borders, but does not render collaboration less sensitive to physical distance. Given this general trend, there is considerable heterogeneity between regions and countries in their propensity to collaborate which we attribute to differences in size, quality and accessibility. The findings and conclusions are framed within the context of European research policies.     

International collaboration in science: a Chinese perspective

<正>International collaboration has been crucial for boosting science in China in the past few decades.But the role China plays in major international projects largely depends on research fields and can vary widely.As the country strives to reach new heights in its innovation capacity,there are heated debates over how China can get the most out of international collaboration,what the government’s role should be,and whether Chinese researchers should work alone in some cases to build their strength beyond     

Measures of international collaboration in scientific literature: Part I

Research evaluating models of scientific productivity require coherent metrics that quantify various key relations among papers as revealed by patterns of citation. This paper focuses on the various conceptual problems inherent in measuring the degree to which papers tend to cite other papers written by authors of the same nationality. We suggest that measures can be given a degree of assurance of coherence by being based on mathematical models describing the citation process. A number of such models are developed.     

Measures of international collaboration in scientific literature: Part II

This paper continues the attempt of Part I to develop a coherent family of measures of influence between classes of documents, for example, language or nationality classes, as indicated by citation choice. In this paper we focus on situations in which there is some ambiguity as to how to assign items to a class. For simplicity, we change our focus from citations to co-authorship patterns, restricting most of our discussion to papers with two authors. Like the earlier paper, we propose very simple models of the citation decision, and base our measures on the parameters that appear in the model.     

Connection and stratification in research collaboration: An analysis of the COLLNET network

Co-authorship among scientists represents a prototype of a social network. By mapping the graph containing all relevant publications of members in an international collaboration network: COLLNET, we infer the structural mechanisms that govern the topology of this social system. The structure of the network affects the information available to individuals, and their opportunities to collaborate. The structure of the network also affects the overall flow of information, and the nature of the scientific community. We present a number of measures of both the macro- (whole-network) and micro- (actor-centered) structure of collaboration, and apply these to COLLNET. We find that this scientific community displays many aspects of a “small-world,” and is somewhat vulnerable to disruption should major figures become inactive. We also find inequality in the roles played by individuals in the network. The inequalities, however, do not create a closed and isolated “core” or elite.     

科学合作最佳规模现象的发现

 科学论文生产与科学合作规模之间的关系,本质上是科学生产力与科研生产关系的互动作用。本文作者回顾了在指导博士生在这一领域选题进行学位论文研究中,意外发现了科学合作最佳规模现象,这一现象当时博士生的研究已经显示出来却尚未完全意识到。之后,WISE实验室部分成员采用威布尔分布和核心密度估计两种概率密度函数,对WOS数据库中的核物理学、应用物理学、应用化学、微生物学和纳米科技等学科若干年度的论文数据进行分析,得到合作规模(人数)与论文数量关系的密度分布曲线,证实了科学合作最佳规模现象的存在。最后,提出了全面探索科学合作最佳规模现象与定律的设想。     

Understanding life together: A brief history of collaboration in biology

The history of science shows a shift from single-investigator ‘little science’ to increasingly large, expensive, multinational, interdisciplinary and interdependent ‘big science’. In physics and allied fields this shift has been well documented, but the rise of collaboration in the life sciences and its effect on scientific work and knowledge has received little attention. Research in biology exhibits different historical trajectories and organisation of collaboration in field and laboratory – differences still visible in contemporary collaborations such as the Census of Marine Life and the Human Genome Project. We employ these case studies as strategic exemplars, supplemented with existing research on collaboration in biology, to expose the different motives, organisational forms and social dynamics underpinning contemporary large-scale collaborations in biology and their relations to historical patterns of collaboration in the life sciences. We find the interaction between research subject, research approach as well as research organisation influencing collaboration patterns and the work of scientists.     

发包商和外包商的双赢之道

在外包过程中,发包商和承包商之间存在着明显的博弈关系,不同的策略对局将给双方带来不同的收益。本文深入分析发包商和承包商的困惑所在,剖析双方博弈关系的演变路径,探讨向对方发出合作诚意邀约和有效的激励以实现在合作过程中快速达到双赢均衡的途径。     

我国政府资助的国际合作研究项目特征分析

国际科研合作是科学复杂化、科研人员专业化的产物,也是提升科学进步与发展的重要选择。分析我国政府支持的国际合作研究项目的资助特征及项目层面我国国际科研合作情况对科技政策制定者、科研管理人员制定与优化国际科研合作政策、管理规章制定等具有重要意义。本研究以国家自然科学基金委2001-2018年资助的1053项“重大国际（地区）合作研究项目”为对象,通过数理统计、地理空间分析、社会网络分析的方法,从项目资助和合作网络两个层面分析“重大国际（地区）合作研究项目”的资助时间、地区、学科分布特征以及国家、机构合作网络特征。分析发现：?2001-2018年“重大国际（地区）合作研究项目”资助规模整体呈先快速上升后平稳发展的趋势。?从资助地区来看,2001-2018年我国共28个地区受到资助,东部地区是资助重点,北京、上海、江苏是资助的主要区域,且资助重心呈由东向西、由北向南的转移趋势,但总体转移幅度不大,我国西部和东北地区依然是资助的薄弱区域。?从资助学科领域来看,不同学科领域资助起始年存在差异,2007年之后资助的学科领域分布开始逐步稳定,其中,医学科学是受资助的重点学科领域,受资助数量呈上升趋势且明显高于其他学科领域;此外,2011年之后除医学科学领域之外各学科领域的资助比例趋于稳定。?从项目合作国家来看,我国共与38个国家（地区）开展过项目合作,但合作国家（地区）总体集中度较高,美、英、德三个国家为重点合作国家,美国与我国的合作最为突出;2001-2018年项目合作国家（地区）不断增加,中美合作强度最为突出,但总体集中于欧洲地区;?从项目合作机构来看,机构资助面越来越广,与国外合作越来越密切;合作网络的连通性不断提升,机构间信息交流越来越通畅;国内清华大学、北京大学、上海交通大学、浙江大学、复旦大学和国外加州大学、德克萨斯大学是国内外合作开展项目较为频繁的机构。建议我国在国际合作研究项目层面进一步优化国际合作研究项目资助重心、调整国际合作研究项目资助领域比例、提高国际科研合作广度与深度。     

On the need for collaboration in KM education in the LIS sector: Some professional perspectives

As demonstrated in the literature, knowledge management (KM) is a multidisciplinary field of study which encompasses topics from several disciplines. As a consequence, a range of different educational programs has appeared among different stakeholder groups, resulting in competition for ownership of the field on occasion. Although understandable, this competition might more usefully be replaced by collaborative relationships that take a holistic view of the topic. Based on the findings of current research into the implications of KM for Library and Information Science (LIS) education, this paper investigates the issue of collaboration in KM education from the viewpoint of the LIS community. The research findings reveal an appreciation within the LIS community of the importance of collaborative approaches for KM education, and the need for LIS schools to enter liaisons with other interested parties, particularly with business schools and with industry. The findings also suggest that there are few serious impediments to the making of such collaborations, once schools recognise the need for such arrangements.     

Correction to: Philosophy in the age of science

Metascience - In “Philosophy in the age of science,” a review of J. Beale’s and I. J. Kidd’s edited volume, Wittgenstein and scientism, by Mariam Thalos, Chon Tejedor was...     

中国科学研究国际合作的测度和分析

 科技资源全球化流动与配置的趋势日益明显,而科学研究国际合作有助于提升国家在全球范围掌控、调配科技资源的能力。基于SCI国际合著论文数据,综合应用文献计量和社会网络分析方法,从国际合作整体发展态势、学科领域国际合作倾向、优势和弱势学科国际合作地位差异、高质量成果国际合作依存性等四个角度分析中国2000年至2010年的国际合作特征。结果表明,中国积极、广泛地开展了国际合作研究,中国科研人员国际合作的主导地位也在不断加强。然而,中国的学科领域国际合作呈现出合作率与合作地位的奇异性,而且中国的高质量工作具有较高的国际依存性。     

Directed collaboration patterns in funded teams: A perspective of knowledge flow

Collaborations in funded teams are essential for understanding funded research and funding policies, although of high interest, are still not fully understood. This study aims to investigate directed collaboration patterns from the perspective of the knowledge flow, which is measured based on the academic age. To this end, we proposed a project-based team identification approach, which gives particular attention to funded teams. The method is applicable to other funding systems. Based on identified scientific teams, we detected recurring and significant subgraph patterns, known as network motifs, and under-represented patterns, known as anti-motifs. We found commonly occurred motifs and anti-motifs are remarkably characterized by different structures matching certain functions in knowledge exchanges. Collaboration patterns represented by motifs favor hierarchical structures, supporting intensive interactions across academic generations. Anti-motifs are more likely to show chain-like structures, hindering potentially various knowledge activities, and are thus seldom found in real collaboration networks. These findings provide new insights into the understanding of funded collaborations and also the funding system. Meanwhile, our findings are helpful for researchers, the public and policymakers to gain knowledge on research(ers) evolution, particularly in terms of primordial collaboration patterns.