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how to use it. On reflection it is perhaps easy to write words like ‘collaboration’ in a proposal for a space such as the Hive but much harder to define exactly what you expect ‘collaboration’ to look like. Although the Hive isn’t regularly full of groups actively working on something together we know that the users are collaborating in a more organic way – sharing resources, helping each other with translations, proof-reading conference proposals and generally building up a support network to see them through their thesis and onwards.
F
We know that people feel very strongly about the Hive. One focus group was given the hypothetical situation of all researchers being given office space by their schools and asked whether the Hive users would use those spaces or continue using the Hive. All asked said they would choose the Hive - an indication of how the research community values the space.
PR
O
O
As the Hive develops we would like to encourage more researcher-led events which can be initially facilitated by the Scholars but then continued by the community. A further opportunity for development is the new Research Staff Association which has been formed at Sussex by early-career researchers and with whom we have been working to discover how the Hive can support them. We are also keen to make more of the unofficial collaborations and connections that have been made by researchers using the Hive so that we can tell others how the Hive could benefit them.
ALISS Quarterly 7 (4) July 2012