Better collaboration through technology

One of the joys of qualitative research is getting to work as a part of a team. But when you're out of the office on fieldwork, collaboration can be hard. Let me introduce you to two handy tools that make working together a piece of cake, even when you're doing so remotely.

Trello

The first is Trello, a useful tool for managing group projects. Core to Trello are "boards", each representing a different stage of progress. On each board, you can add tasks, allocate them to team mates and discuss the job in hand. But the best thing about the board set-up is that is a great way to stay on top of the moving parts of a qual project, especially from afar. As team members move tasks from board to board, from "to-do" to "done", it’s easy to monitor progress and keep your team on track.

Slack

The second tool is Slack. Using Slack brings back fond memories of instant messaging programmes from years gone by. But the principle is similar. You create "channels" where team members come together to chat about work in real-time. Facilitating discussions in this way allows you to share knowledge, talk ideas through and make decisions at speed, without having to get everyone together in a meeting room.