More Than Writing Text: Multiplicity in Collaborative Academic Writing

More Than Writing Text: Multiplicity in Collaborative Academic Writing Ida Larsen-Ledet Ph.D. Thesis Department of Computer Science Aarhus University Denmark More Than Writing Text: Multiplicity in Collaborative Academic Writing A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of Natural Sciences of Aarhus University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Ph.D. Degree. by Ida Larsen-Ledet November 2, 2020 Abstract This thesis explores collaborative academic writing with a focus on how it is mediated by multiple technologies. The thesis presents findings from two empirical studies with university students and researchers: The first combined semi-structured interviews with visualizations of document editing activity to explore transitions through co-writers’ artifact ecologies along with co-writers’ motivations for per- forming these transitions. The second study was a three-stage co-design workshop series that progressed from dialog through ideation to exploration of a prototype for a shared editor that was based on the participants’ proposed features and designs. The contribution from the second study to this thesis is the analysis of participants’ viewpoints and ideas. The analyses of these findings contribute a characterization of co-writers’ practical and social motivations for using multiple tools in their collaborations, and the chal- lenges this poses for sharing and adressing the work. Multiplicity is also addressed in terms of co-writers bringing multiple and diverse needs and preferences into the writing, and how these may be approached in efforts to design and improve support for collaborative writing. Additionally, the notion of text function is introduced to describe the text’s role as a mediator of the writing. This notion is applied in an extended analysis of the relationship between characteristics of the tools in use and the ways in which co-writers are able to organize themselves and their efforts around a common text. In sum, this work constructs an understanding of collaborative writing as mediated by multiple artifacts and situated in a web of activities, practices, and human interaction. i Resumé Titlen på denne sammenfatning kan oversættes til: Mere end at skrive tekst: pluralitet i akademisk samskrivning. Denne sammenfatning undersøger akademisk samskrivning med fokus på, hvordan den er medieret af mange teknologier. Sammenfatningen fremstiller resultater fra to empiriske studier med universitetsstuderende og -forskere: I den første blev semi-strukrerede interviews kombineret med visualiseringer af redigeringsaktivitet i et dokument, med det formål at udforske transitioner gennem medforfatteres artefaktøkologier og medforfatteres motivationer for at udføre disse transitioner (medforfattere bruges i betydningen: “folk der skriver sammen”). Det andet studie var en serie af co-design-workshops i tre trin, som gik fra dialog over idé-generering til udforskning af en prototype på et delt tekstredigeringsværktøj, som var baseret på deltagernes forslag til funktionalitet og design. Dette studies bidrag til sammenfatningen er analysen af deltagernes synspunkter og idéer. Analysen af resultaterne bidrager med en karakterisering af medforfatteres prak- tiske og sociale motivationer for at anvende mange redskaber i deres samarbejder, samt de udfordringer det bringer med sig i forhold til at dele og adressere arbejdet. Pluralitet bliver også adresseret i form af de mange og forskelligartede behov og præferencer, som medforfattere bringer med sig ind i skrivningen, samt hvordan denne forskellighed kan adresseres i arbejde med at designe og forbedre under- støttelse af samskrivning. Ydermere bliver begrebet tekst-funktion ("text function") introduceret for at beskrive tekstens rolle som medierende for skrivningen. Dette begreb anvendes i en større analyse af forholdet mellem karakteristikker ved de redskaber, der anvendes, og måderne hvorpå medforfattere er i stand til at organis- ere deres arbejde omkring en fælles tekst. Alt i alt opstiller dette stykke arbejde en forståelse af samskrivning som medieret af mange artefakter og situeret i et netværk af aktiviteter, praksisser og menneskelig interaktion. iii Corrections This page describes corrections made to the thesis after its approval, by agreement with the assessment committee chair, Ira Assent. The corrections were made on November 1. 2020. Chapter 1 — Minor Corrections P.4: relationships to each other relationships to one another ! P.5: carried out, findings supported carried out; findings supported ! P.5: Chapter chapter 4 Chapter 4 ! P.6: On the basis of this, it proposes On the basis of this, the chapter proposes ! P.6: The chapter discusses Chapter 6 discusses ! P.6: a question protocol to address a protocol based on questions meant to ad- ! dress Chapter 1 — Additions PP.3–4, under the heading 2. Mediated:. The concept of mediation [29] directs focus away from the typing and other interactions with the computer and over to the work that is accomplished through the typing and the various other interactions with devices and software. (. ) Mediation refers to the way these activities happen through the use of tools [29]. By characterizing collaborative writing as mediated I want to emphasize the mutual relationship in which tools and activities shape each other, as opposed to focusing only on the tools themselves or on those of their features designed specifically for writing and/or collaboration. Chapter 7 — Minor Corrections P.127: [131, introduction] [131, Introduction] ! P.127: (see 6 on page 95) (see quote 6 on page 95) ! P.134: Fluid [166] As this Fluid [166]). As this ! P.134: locate each other, and locate each other and ! v Acknowledgments I am thankful to many people for the parts they have played on my journey here. I hope my sincerity is not obscured by the abundance of words on these pages. I have many things to thank my advisor, Susanne Bødker, for. First of all, thank you for helping me get to this point. Thank you for suggesting that I study collaborative writing, a topic I am very glad to have ended up working with. Thank you for plant- ing seeds in my head that grew into (mostly) interesting ideas. And thank you for seeing me for who I am as a person. Although, somewhat ironically, most of the chapters in this piece of writing have been authored by a single person, all of it has grown out of a confidence and a trust in the people I have worked with, and the mutual confidence and trust they have shown me. A special thanks to Henrik, Susanne, and Marcel for being my co-authors. Thank you, also, to Sine Jespersen, Peter Lyle, Mathias Vorreiter Pedersen, and Henrik for providing feedback on the thesis. And thank you to the people who shared their thoughts and experiences with me in interviews, documents, and workshops so I could in turn attemt to structure, frame, and present the knowledge I gained from that, in the hopes that it will be of value and use to them and others. Teachers I would also like to extend a thank you to the many other people who have in some way or another acted as teachers and mentors to me. In particular: Henrik, for encouraging me and being my unofficial mentor. Olav Bertelsen, for igniting and encouraging my interest in HCI during the first seven weeks of my studies in computer science. Chiara Rossitto, for hosting me in your department at Stockholm University and for an enjoyable collaboration that I look forward to continue. vii viii To those behind the scenes Thank you, Mich, for the countless number of times you and the IT support team have helped me with all sorts of problems, including your patient email commu- nications with me. Also a big thanks to Marianne for all the work you do to make the machinery run smoothly, among other things by answering a lot of practical questions from me and proofreading journal-length papers. And thank you, Tina, for always being there for me and all of the other students and employees at CS, to help with anything from understanding vacation schemes to needing a band-aid. And for always making everyone know you’re happy to see them. Friends I would like to thank Dat1 (known to friends as DatAss), for making university be about more than books, assignments, and exams. A special thanks to Astrid and Else (in increasing alphabetical and numerical order, as well as by decreasing length, as per our convention) for fighting your way through the bachelor’s degree with me. I also want to thank Anke and Nathalie, for a friendship with space for sharing ups and dealing with downs during the Ph.D. work. My other colleagues in Ada-1 and Hopper-1 also deserve a huge thanks, for believing in me both before and during my Ph.D. studies. In particular Peter Lyle has been, and continue to be, a great friend and support. Family Thank you, Mom and Dad, for always letting me know I was special to you — even if “I’m sure all the other parents think that about their children, too”. With this thesis, I may be standing on the shoulders of giants, but you lifted me up so I could climb here. Thank you, Mathias. For inspiring me to pursue a Ph.D. For having rejection cocktails and acceptance dinners with me. For supporting me and believing in me. I don’t know that this would have ever happened if it wasn’t for you. Ida Larsen-Ledet, Aarhus, July 31, 2020. This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No 740548). Included Papers Publications Chapter 4 [145] Ida Larsen-Ledet and Henrik Korsgaard. Territorial Functioning in Collaborative Writing. Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW), 28:391–433, May 2019. doi: 10.1007/s10606-019-09359-8 Chapter 5 [146] Ida Larsen-Ledet, Henrik Korsgaard, and Susanne Bødker.

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