Tailoring Groupware: The Cooperative HypermediaApproach

  • Authors:
  • Weigang Wang;Jörg M. Haake

  • Affiliations:
  • GMD – German National Research Center for Information Technology, IPSI – Integrated Publication and Information Systems Institute, Dolivostr. 15, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany (E-Mail:

  • Venue:
  • Computer Supported Cooperative Work
  • Year:
  • 1999

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Abstract

Tailoring groupware has to deal with adapting properties of asharedinformation space as well as with adapting properties of thecooperation support to the group's needs. In this paper, anapproachfor tailoring both aspects of groupware in an integrated fashionisproposed. This approach uses cooperative hypermedia as aunifyingrepresentation of shared information structures, functionality,andthe coordination medium of a shared application. It enablescooperative definition of shared information structures, sharedprocess models and their access models not only beforecollaborationstarts, but also on the fly, when emergent processes evolve. Theproposed approach addresses tailoring at all stages of thedevelopmentand use of a groupware application. A prototype system calledCHIPSis presented and different possibilities of tailoring in CHIPSarediscussed. Examples of CHIPS demonstrate that the cooperativehypermedia approach to tailoring groupware can support theadaptationto different evolving tasks and processes performed by changingteams.