Matthew Bietz, Assistant Project Scientist

My research advances understanding of the design and use of collaboration technologies in distributed knowledge work. I have focused on two overarching (and frequently overlapping) themes:
1) the role of knowledge representations and digital artifacts in supporting collaboration, and
2) relational communication in distributed groups. I have pursued the first theme primarily in the realm of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for science, where I have studied sociotechnical aspects of data, databases, and data sharing systems in HIV/AIDS research, genomics, and oceanography.
In the second theme, I investigate how distributed groups can build and maintain high-quality relationships given the constraints of distance and the affordances of communication technologies. My research builds on sociotechnical theories that illuminate the complex interplay of social and technological phenomena. Many of my recent studies have involved qualitative studies of the role of information technologies in everyday work. In these studies I rely on observation, interviews, and critical analysis of artifacts, drawing heavily on ethnographic and grounded theory approaches. I have also conducted quantitative studies, including experimental studies for my dissertation research.