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Published in: Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) 3/2007

01-06-2007

Boundary Negotiating Artifacts: Unbinding the Routine of Boundary Objects and Embracing Chaos in Collaborative Work

Author: Charlotte P. Lee

Published in: Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) | Issue 3/2007

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Abstract

Empirical studies of material artifacts in practice continue to be a rich source of theoretical concepts for CSCW. This paper explores the foundational concept of boundary objects and questions the conception that all objects that move between communities of practice are boundary objects. This research presents the results of a year-long ethnographic study of collaborative work, specifically the multidisciplinary collaborative design of a museum exhibition. I suggest that artifacts can serve to establish and destabilize protocols themselves and that artifacts can be used to push boundaries rather than merely sailing across them. Artifacts used for collaboration do not necessarily exist within a web of standardized processes and disorderly processes should not be treated as “special cases”.

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Metadata
Title
Boundary Negotiating Artifacts: Unbinding the Routine of Boundary Objects and Embracing Chaos in Collaborative Work
Author
Charlotte P. Lee
Publication date
01-06-2007
Publisher
Kluwer Academic Publishers
Published in
Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) / Issue 3/2007
Print ISSN: 0925-9724
Electronic ISSN: 1573-7551
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10606-007-9044-5

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