Web-based software-support for collaborative morphological analysis in real-time

Existing software and procedures for General Morphological Analysis (GMA) are primarily designed for synchronous face-to-face meetings. However, virtual teams and telework are on the rise. Against this background, we analyze current approaches and IT support to identify aspects that need to be reconsidered when GMA is applied in a distributed setting. In cooperation with a German non-profit cultural organization, we have developed browser-based collaborative GMA software that provides multi-user support. This paper presents what we have learned from the development process and the results from two empirical studies on the usability and learnability of the developed software. Based on observations and user feedback from the empirical studies, we conclude that the developed software is a useful IT artefact; more research is needed, however, to investigate the implications of distributed team settings for the application and facilitation of GMA.