the evolution of a research question

What happens when you bring together three people, from three different continents to collaboratively develop and explore a research thesis? Some might say chaos, others might say misery- but at the end of the day FAR chooses to think of it more as a little bit of magic.

You start with three people with very different interests but a shared 'hunch' that wikinomics and new forms of web collaboration have some potential to transform the world as we know it.

Then you throw in a little bit of Beyond Zero, Brave New Collaboration and the amazing exploration and insight of the wonderful Menka and Ed.

Shake it all up a little bit, and throw in four years of past research into the field of strategic sustainable development, the cutting insight of our advisors, some Natural Step International and presto you have a research question!
Or that's what we thought- until we sat down for a day and 'let the sparks fly.' After a day holed up in la casa de Petzel, diving into the literature and trying to finalize the details of our thesis proposal- something funny emerged. A lot of the spark came from Peter Gloor's articulation of collaborative innovation networks. Much came from Menka's always thoughtful questioning. And so much came from The Partners4SSD thesis group. But by the end of the day, our research questions emerged from the ruble brand new, and hopefully improved. Let us know what you think.

1. In what ways can collaborative innovation networks contribute to transformational change towards a sustainable society?

2. What emerging factors effect the strategic functioning of collaborative innovation networks (business models, technology, licensing models, the semantic web....)

3. How are individuals working towards sustainability currently using collaborative innovation networks?

4. What could collaborative innovation networks look like in a sustainable future?

5. What barriers and opportunities confront collaborative innovation networks?

We know, we know, it's a lot to bite off in four months. But luckily we're not going at it alone. We're excited about the opportunity to partner with the Brave New Collaboration team to launch a wiki that will both embody the opportunities of collaborative networks and add to the field of knowledge about these networks. We're inspired everyday by our MSLS classmates, and the insights of alumni such as Andre who volunteer their time. Then there's Sam (whose collaborative global warming network made it into our thesis proposal- thanks Sam!) Iain, Adrian, Val, Mr. Petzel, Juice and all you other crazies who kindly help us out through this blog.

Can't wait to collaborate more and uncover some answers to the pesty questions above....