Research collaboratories: Their potential for health behavior researchers

Objective: To discuss how online collaboratories can improve the effectiveness and efficiency of research conducted in multiple sites. Methods: We describe how online collaboratories offer a flexible infrastructure for health behavior researchers, and describe the strengths and weaknesses of such tools and the lessons learned from several systems. Results: Although virtual collaboration requires a technology infrastructure achieved at some cost, including access, connectedness, bandwidth, and technology literacy, the potential benefits to health behavior researchers are extensive. Conclusions: The range of technical skills and level of comfort with technology are variable in most groups. However, technology tools are just one aspect of the fully realized collaboratory. Ultimately it is the human skills for collaboration rather than the technical excellence of the infrastructure that signals the potential for success.