1. Playing Well with Others Collaborative Tools for Successful Group Projects James M. Donovan, J.D., Ph.D. Faculty and Access Services Librarian

2. The Old Way You Create the File Send file to Collaborator Collaborator makes changes Collaborator returns file Only one person can work on file Risks losing track of which file is the most current

3. Advantages to Collaborative Tools Easy Access to Files Share Files with Project Members Multiple Simultaneous Users Allowed

4. Google Docs Supported by known provider Easy to use FREE! Do need to register:

5. Creating a Google Account http://www.google.com/ To create account: current email, create password, text verification code to cell, verify. This sends a verification email to your current email; click to activate. You are now able to access Google Docs, as well as create a gmail account if you like.

6. Creating a NEW Document From homepage, use the dropdown menu to navigate to Documents Let’s begin with the basic: you want to create a new file. Choose “NEW” on the menu bar and select which type of document you wish to create– Word processing, spreadsheet, or presentation

7. Choose Document This is not WORD. Very stripped down word processing.

8. Notice how it does footnotes:

9. GD will AUTOSAVE your work every few minutes. This can be a lifesaver! Otherwise, click SAVE AND CLOSE. You now have a file you can work on from anywhere!

10. Uploading an Existing Document Click UPLOAD 2 options: upload and convert, or retain in original format (but then you won’t be able to edit it)

11. To PRESERVE format, UNCHECK the box To CONVERT, leave it checked. But can convert only some formats: NOT WordPERFECT

12. Sharing Files with Collaborators When viewing your file, note the SHARE button to the right: The second option is the easiest: “get the link to share” lets you send the link, to view OR edit, no sign in required. NOT very secure.

13. Inviting Collaborators Use the first option to send an email invitation to collaborators. You can decide whether they can edit, or only view. You can also control whether they can invite others. Users can work on the document at the same time. Google Docs tells you when someone is editing a file you are looking at.

14. Tracking Changes You are able to track changes to a document, so you know who did what. Under FILE, look at the REVISION HISTORY (future of libraries doc)

15. Exporting a Document When ready to export the file for printing (FILE; DOWNLOAD AS), a variety of formats available (NOT WORDPERFECT). Word or PDF. May need to touch up formatting after export.

16. Spreadsheets In addition to word processing, Google Docs lets you work with spreadsheets as well.

17. Tracking Changes Changes are tracked differently in spreadsheets. Here you will see the document, with changes in color. (Bibliography) A special feature is that you can ask to be notified by an email alert of any changes made to a spreadsheet by a collaborator (TOOLS, NOTIFICATION RULES).

18. Exporting spreadsheets Likewise, you again have a variety of formats available when you are ready to export the file for printing.

19. Presentations Finally, Google Docs has a Powerpoint substitute. One notable lack is that it does not enable animation. But for many users that may be a good thing…. But keep this in mind if you are uploading a PPT.

20. Zoho Google Docs is not the only collaborative research platform. Another is Zoho. Registration required. Most apps free, but some of the business-related ones are not.

21. Reasons to Prefer Zoho Offers a page edit mode that lets you see more closely what the final document will look like – Google Docs is in HTML; you won’t know where the page breaks are until you export it. Footnoting appears as it will look in the text (although the note itself does not). More formatting options More export options (9 v. 6): docx as well as doc; but still no Wordperfect!

22. More Zoho Both Zoho and Google Docs to support offline editing. Changes are then synchronized with the main document the next time you log on. Zoho has no AUTOSAVE Zoho docs can be shared only with other Zoho members, unlike Google Docs that can be shared with anyone

23. MS OFFICE LIVE Still another option is Office Live, that has the advantage of letting the document both remain stored on an external site, without being converted to a non-WORD format. Requires download of software. You edit the document, and the changes are then automatically saved to the version on Office Live.

24. Can share the document with others, but does not support simultaneous editing.