Indiana University School of Medicine informatics researchers have reportedly introduced a web-based solution to address the complex problems of scientific collaboration. Called Laboratree (http://laboratree.org/), the solution is designed to streamline research and enhance collaborative social networking for the science community.
Laboratree will allow scientists to securely manage research papers and data, organise groups and projects, send group messages, author blogs, and customise personal and group profiles - all online. The Laboratree Research Management System was developed to facilitate day-to-day research activities in a way that addresses the culture of scientific collaboration, eliminates barriers to entry, and uses the familiar structure of social networking to enable research. The software grew out of a desire for tools to solve organisation, collaboration, messaging, and document control issues.
In addition to professional social networking, collaborators can upload documents to Laboratree, where colleagues can view, download, edit, and manage research papers and data. Colleagues will have access to all versions of a document, tracking edits made, while an intuitive check-in, check-out system eliminates conflicting changes. Laboratree implements the recently developed OpenSocial platform, which offers a self-organising approach to understanding the relationships between people and organisations.
In a similar move, the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) recently launched a new online social networking community called Asklepios that makes it easier for physicians from coast-to-coast to connect, share best practices, and learn from each other. Also, earlier this month, the American Chemical Society (ACS) launched a free social networking site for its members and student affiliates at www.acs.org/membernetwork. The ACS Member Network seeks to facilitate scientific collaboration among chemical science professionals worldwide.
