ABSTRACT
The first chapter of this book presents the argument that 30 years of work in the area of collaboration have produced a number of perspectives explaining the concept in addition to many unanswered questions in collaboration research. Thus, our goal in this book is to provide a more thorough understanding of the theoretical and practical implications of collaboration and the state of knowledge in the field. To accomplish this task, the book began by addressing definitional aspects of collaboration, then exploring theoretical advancements of the field, concluding with examples of the practical applications of the concept. We provide a collection of ideas that we believe will challenge the reader, as well as help the reader synthesize many ideas and discussions in the dynamic study of collaboration. At the beginning of the book, we note five overarching themes that have been identified to help provide clarity on the topic, each of which has been woven throughout the book. The five overarching themes include (1) definitional clarity is a challenge; (2) collaboration is constantly evolving; (3) collaboration can be understood as both organizational process and structure; (4) not all collaboration is equal; and (5) interdisciplinary approaches to collaboration are fruitful. This closing chapter begins with a review of each theme and examples of its presence throughout the book. The chapter ends with a discussion of unanswered questions and future trends in collaboration research.
