Collaboration and Personal Information Management (PIM)

Purpose – The column explores the potential of personal information management (PIM) and reference management. This contribution focuses on collaboration: the issues that need to be addressed in planning, the human component in collaborative information seeking, and issues for research by librarians. Design/methodology/approach – The column is written against the background of research from information behaviour, PIM, collaborative information seeking and collaborative work. Findings – There is growing emphasis on collaboration in information seeking, learning and work. PIM and reference management practices and their supporting software can greatly support this. There are, however, many planning / conceptual issues as well as the human component to recon with. Originality/value – Although much has been published on developments in PIM and reference management, there is limited coverage of collaboration and PIM and reference management.