RATIONALE

I need a place to track my understanding of collaborative processes that work and don't, so am putting them here because I'm confused about the longevity and interest in other public outlets. I'd like to check in on these notes as we continue to collaborate, as I've done with others in the past. The benefit of documenting these processes is threefold: 1. Every single close collaboration I've had (this included every one with each grad student) has been different. There are similarities and themes of course, but the differences matter; 2. Making explicit what is often left implicit allows us to check in and examine our assumptions (e.g., do you prefer feedback right away or after a few drafts; do I prefer rewriting a piece from scratch or working from a cut and paste job?); 3. Processes change, sometimes for good reason because something needs to be fixed, but sometimes just... because. If processes that work, morph over time for whatever reason and we're not reflecting on whether or not that change is most useful, then we could lose out on becoming better collaborators. Checking in will remind us what works and doesn't.

Preferences for Bryan

• B often prefers to rewrite a part we've already worked on rather than try to find it or cut and paste pieces from old stuff and work with that seed. He's also more efficient and a better writer that way.
• Usually, B prefers to have inline edits without tracking at the wording level, especially in later drafts
• Minimize suggestions for writing that is tracked in google docs at the side. Either leave these comments in the actual document body, or I. should do the writing herself and he can change later if he doesn't like it.
• Normally doesn't work from an outline

Preferences for Isabel

• For her own pieces (that is, writing that begins with her or is associated primarily with her own first-authored work), I. prefers tracked wording changes in body of document and meta-comments on structure or ideas tracked off to the side with stickies or notes or whatever the format
• Drafts that are explicitly considered "very rough or first" should be commented on at the level of ideas and organizational structure, not wording
• When editing, I. prefers to know the word limit up front and from the start
• If there will be another editor (or many) on one document, the order of who gets the document (or whether it will be edited simultaneously) is ideally communicated.
• Always works from an outline (on her own material)