{"id":241,"date":"2020-11-25T05:53:57","date_gmt":"2020-11-25T05:53:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thecommsdoctor.com.au\/stories\/?p=241"},"modified":"2020-11-25T05:53:57","modified_gmt":"2020-11-25T05:53:57","slug":"selecting-the-right-communication-tools-for-collaborations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thecommsdoctor.com.au\/stories\/selecting-the-right-communication-tools-for-collaborations\/","title":{"rendered":"Selecting the right communication tools for collaborations"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Computers and associated software have become vital tools for long range communication, particularly during the COVID pandemic.<\/p>\n

They can help people \u2018talk around the world\u2019, help maintain professional relations, and widen networks; but they can also raise communication barriers between the people that use them.<\/p>\n

Using some communication programs for communication between research collaborators can be likened to eating lasagne with chopsticks \u2013 near impossible!<\/p>\n

[Read more on this task in my blog titled Lasagne, chopsticks, and communication in international teams<\/a>.]<\/p>\n

This image reflects what some scientists from developing countries feel when they use particular information and computer technologies (ICTs) recommended (or even forced on them) by their overseas counterparts for communication within their teams. It also<\/p>\n

Furthermore, these ICTs can be an expensive failure as they don\u2019t meet the needs of the project and the team, whether they be in Australia or overseas.<\/p>\n

But what if you really want to make collaborations work? What if you want to try other ways of \u2018eating that lasagne\u2019 to establish more effective communication between your team members dispersed across countries and time zones?<\/p>\n

In recent blogs, I have addressed what users should consider when selecting ICTs for their collaborations, based on the team\u2019s communication needs<\/a> and the context in which they operate<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[See my blog Lasagne, chopsticks, and communication in international teams<\/a> for details on barriers for team communication, particularly those operating in developing countries.]<\/p>\n

I incorporated these barriers into an assessment tool that I developed, called I-CHET, which I then applied to nine ICTs used by international agricultural research teams comprising mainly Lao and Australian scientists who operated in Lao PDR.<\/p>\n

And what were some of my findings?<\/p>\n