Ackerman, M. (2000). The Intellectual Challenge of CSCW: The Gap Between Social Requirements and Technical Feasibility. Human-Computer Interaction, 15(2&3), 179-203. Available from http://www.eecs.umich.edu/ ackerm/pub/00a10/hci.final.pdf. (edit)

The concept of the ‘social-technical gap’ is presented which defines the void between the complexities of human social interaction, and the technical limitations of computer systems for properly supporting those interactions in collaborative work. Ackerman points out that this gap exists not for any lack of awareness of the social requirements, but because of the “brittle and rigid” nature of technical systems. The article is presented in three stages: a review of the findings from the last 10 years of computer supported cooperative work (CSCW) research, and an explanation of the ‘social-technical gap’ through the focus on a research problem. It concludes with the assertion that the social-technical gap needs to be acknowledged and embraced as a fundamental component of CSCW research in order to refocus the field in a meaningful direction, and to have a chance at reducing it. -- Diane O’Grady (2004)