Collaborators

Overview

The Collaborators section in the Open Lab platform is a dedicated area for building and managing your research network. It enables you to view your current collaborators, search for potential new ones based on public profiles, edit your own profile to make it discoverable, and exchange messages to discuss collaborations. The interface is organized into tabs: "My Collaborators" for reviewing your existing connections and "Search Collaborators" for finding others. Profiles include details like bio, research interests, and affiliation, with options to invite users to projects or send direct messages. This feature promotes seamless teamwork by connecting researchers with complementary skills. Additionally, you can create or update your public profile to increase visibility and receive collaboration requests.

To access the Collaborators section, navigate from the researcher dashboard by clicking the "Find Collaborators" quick-action button (under the "Collaboration Tools" area) or directly visit https://research.open-lab.online/dashboard/collaborators. The tabbed layout allows easy switching between viewing your network and exploring new connections, while integrated messaging ensures smooth communication without leaving the platform.

Screenshot of the Collaborators interface, showing tabs for My Collaborators and Search Collaborators.
The Collaborators interface, with tabs for managing your network and searching for new collaborators.

My Collaborators

The "My Collaborators" tab provides a comprehensive view of your current research partners, displaying them as profile cards in a grid layout. Each card aggregates information from all shared projects, showing the collaborator's name, affiliation, research interests, and a list of joint collaborations with details like project names, your roles, and invitation statuses (e.g., Pending or Accepted). This grouping helps you see the full scope of your partnerships at a glance. If you have no collaborators yet, a helpful prompt appears with options to create a project or switch to the search tab to find potential partners.

From each profile card, you can take actions such as viewing their full profile, sending a message to discuss ongoing work, or inviting them to additional projects. This tab is particularly useful for maintaining relationships and coordinating across multiple collaborations.

Example: If you've collaborated with a data analyst on two projects—one as an Editor and another as a Viewer—the card will list both, allowing you to quickly reference your shared history.

Troubleshooting Tip: If collaborators don't appear, ensure you've accepted invitations or refresh the page. Check your projects for any pending statuses that might affect visibility.

Screenshot of the My Collaborators tab, showing profile cards with collaboration details.
The My Collaborators tab, displaying grouped collaborator profiles with joint project information.

Search Collaborators

The "Search Collaborators" tab is designed for expanding your network by discovering public profiles of other researchers. It features a search bar for querying by name, keywords in bios or interests, along with sorting options (e.g., by name ascending/descending). Results appear as profile cards, each showing the user's image, name, affiliation, and research interests. This tab helps you identify experts in specific fields, such as cognitive psychology or data analysis, to potentially invite to your projects.

On each profile card, you can view their detailed profile, send a message to introduce yourself or propose collaboration, or invite them to a specific project by selecting one of your projects and assigning a role (e.g., Editor or Viewer). Invitations open a modal for confirmation, where you choose the project and role, ensuring targeted and permission-based additions to your team.

  • View Profile: Click to see full details, including bio and interests, to assess fit.
  • Send Message: Opens messaging to start a conversation (see Messaging section below).
  • Invite to Project: Select a project and role; an invitation email is sent upon confirmation.

Example: Search for "data analyst cognitive" to find profiles matching those keywords, then invite a suitable candidate to your project as a Data Analyst.

Troubleshooting Tip: If no results appear, broaden your search terms or check that profiles are public. Invitations require an active project; create one if needed.

Screenshot of the Search Collaborators tab, showing search bar and profile cards.
The Search Collaborators tab with public profile cards and action buttons.

Creating and Editing Your Public Profile

Your profile is key to being discoverable in searches and attracting collaborators. To create or edit it, navigate to the "Configure Account Settings" quick-action in the dashboard or directly to https://research.open-lab.online/dashboard/profile. The profile editor allows you to build a professional presence that highlights your expertise.

  1. Enter a bio in the "Bio" textarea, summarizing your background, experience, and current focus (e.g., "Cognitive psychologist specializing in online experiments").
  2. Specify your research interests in the "Research Interests" field, using commas for multiple areas (e.g., "cognitive tasks, reaction times, data visualization").
  3. Upload a profile image by selecting a file; it will preview immediately.
  4. Toggle "Make profile public" to allow discovery in searches; private profiles are only visible to your collaborators.
  5. Click "Update Profile" to save; changes are reflected immediately across the platform.

Example: A complete profile might include a professional photo, a bio like "PhD in Psychology with 5+ years in behavioral research," and interests such as "online surveys, lab.js integration."

Troubleshooting Tip: If updates don't appear, refresh the page. Ensure image files are under size limits (typically 5MB) and in supported formats (JPEG, PNG).

Screenshot of the Profile editor, showing fields for bio, interests, image, and public toggle.
The Profile editor for creating or updating your public presence.

Exchanging Messages

Messaging is integrated into the Collaborators section for direct communication. To message someone, click the "Message" button on their profile card (in either tab). This opens or selects a chat in the Messages page at https://research.open-lab.online/dashboard/messages, where you can view chat history and send new messages.

The Messages interface features a sidebar listing your chats (with previews of the last message) and a main chat window displaying the conversation. Type in the bottom input area and press Enter or click "Send" to message. Chats are created automatically when you initiate contact, and you can delete chats or individual messages as needed.

Example: After finding a potential collaborator via search, message them: "Hi, I'm interested in your cognitive study—let's discuss how I can contribute as an editor."

Troubleshooting Tip: If messages don't send, check your connection or refresh. Deleted messages are permanent, so confirm before removing.

Screenshot of the Messages interface, showing chat list and conversation window.
The Messages interface for exchanging communications with collaborators.

Next Steps

With your collaborator network established, explore the following sections to analyze data or generate reports on the Open Lab platform:

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