Collaborative writing uses the same basic writing processes as Individual writing: Prewriting; brainstorming; topic selecting; revising; proof reading; and editing. The main difference is that in collaborative writing the individual processes are divided between group members. “Shared-document collaboration involves collaborators producing a shared document, engaging in substantive interaction about that document, and sharing decision-making power and responsibility for it.” (Sage Journals Online, 1987)
In the majority of cases, collaborative writing occurs in business situations. The department director or shift supervisor will designate the team members for the project. The individual members will come together to form a work group whose purpose is to create the best possible product. Before any group of individuals can become a cohesive, productive team, it must go through several stages of development. Dr. Bruce Tuckman developed his model for group interaction in 1965. He coined the different phases as “forming, storming, norming, performing.” (Tuckman, 1965) The model originally developed by Dr. Tuckman has been used extensively throughout the years and appears to hold up to the test of time. Each group of three or more individuals needs to pass through these phases before it can produce optimally. The group leader must be aware of these individual phases and know which phase the group is in, at any given time, to maintain peak productivity.
After the group has passed through the forming, storming and norming phases, the team members are ready to perform. The team leader has evaluated individual strengths and weaknesses and has assigned roles to each member. Each team member will perform his or her individual portion of the project and make the work available to the team for review and suggestions. This is the editing phase and is dramatically different for a team versus an individual project. Each team member will have a voice to offer...