Taxonomy and Theory in Computer Supported Cooperative Work

It began as a simple review, but writing it led to reflection and new insights. For over 25 years, Steve Poltrock and I have collaborated in conducting and reviewing CSCW research.

In the mid-1980s, when most hands-on computer use was still confined to one person and one computer, a group comprising social scientists and technologists began convening under the label Computer Support Cooperative Work to discuss how technology could support groups, organizations, and communities. The resulting research, presented in annual conferences and journals, has had to adjust to the extraordinary growth of activity as the Internet and World Wide Web have transformed work. In this chapter, we examine the evolution of the participants and topics covered in CSCW, the frameworks and typologies that have been used, and we discuss the diverse if somewhat limited roles that theory has played in guiding CSCW research and application.