Nitin Sawhney: Doctoral Thesis Research
COOPERATIVE INNOVATION IN THE COMMONS:
Rethinking Distributed Collaboration and Intellectual Property
for Sustainable Design Innovation
Nitin Sawhney, Doctoral Candidate,
MIT Program in Media Arts and Sciences
MIT Media Laboratory
Thesis Objective: Understanding the role of online collaboration, pedagogical approaches and intellectual property rights towards distributed cooperation for sustainable design innovation.
Research Questions: How can we create an environment that encourages distributed individuals and organizations to tackle engineering design challenges in critical problem domains? How should we design appropriate online collaboration platforms, support learning, social incentives and novel property rights to foster innovation in sustainable design?
The thesis seeks to address these interconnected issues using three main approaches:
Research Projects and Activities
Doctoral Dissertation
Dissertation Defense at MIT: Monday, Nov 25th, 2002
Defense Talk Slides (380K PowerPoint) | Archived Realvideo Webcast
(45 mins)
Doctoral Dissertation: Sawhney, N. Cooperative Innovation in the Commons:
Rethinking Distributed Collaboration and Intellectual Property for Sustainable Design Innovation.
Submitted to MIT, Jan 17, 2003. (128 pages, 1.6 MB) [Low-res version 900K PDF]
(Abstract)
Thesis Chapters (Open Peer Review on ThinkCycle)
- Ch.1: Introduction: Cooperative Innovation in the Commons? (14 pages, 112 K)
Abstract: Motivation: Expanding Cooperative R&D in Sustainable Design for Universal Human Rights. Lessons from the
Appropriate Technology movement, recent global trends and evolution of the ThinkCycle Initiative at MIT. Key research challenges - Cooperation,
Community and Intellectual Property.
- Ch.2: Cooperation and Property Rights in the Commons (21 pages, 117 K)
Abstract: Survey of prior literature and theories of cooperation and property rights, particularly for online communities.
Examines the Free Software & Open Source movements and limitations for distributed peer-production in product design. Affordances, conflicts and policies
for dealing with property rights (Private, Communal & Public) in natural resources, grassroots innovation and online digital content.
- Ch.3: Open Collaboratories for Design Innovation (27 pages, 1 MB) [Low-res 300
K]
Abstract: Review of collaboration tools, distributed computing and open knowledge initiatives. Description of design, architecture,
and development of the ThinkCycle Collaboration Platform. Discuss evolving design criteria, case study and lessons learned. Literature review on the
nature of Design Rationale, Social Context and Physical Settings in shaping cooperative online design.
- Ch.4: Collaborative Design and Learning in Studio Courses (21 pages, 154 K)
Abstract: Survey of prior studies on learning and collaboration using web-based platforms in schools and university courses. Results of study conducted with the
Design that Matters Studio courses at MIT in 2001 and 2003, using online surveys and intensive interviews. Summarizes nature of
collaborative design, learning outcomes, and usage patterns of students and participants. Recommendations for future courses in sustainable design and collaboration
tools.
- Ch.5: Role of Intellectual Property Rights in Open Collaborative Design (31 pages, 169 K)
Abstract: Understanding social incentives, formal/informal mechanisms and the role of IPR in scientific research,
based on prior studies by sociologists. Social inquiry (ethnographic study) conducted into motivations, perceptions and IPR patterns
among 10 informants involved in 7 design projects on ThinkCycle. Results of study include perceptions of Patents vs. Open Source, social incentives for
protection or dissemination, and emergence of 4 primary IPR patterns observed. Recommendations on IPR policies and approaches for critical
design innovation.
- Ch.6: Conclusions: Rethinking Cooperative Innovation (14 pages, 76 K)
Abstract: Summary of thesis research, challenges, contributions and critical issues. Key lessons learned for: 1) Developing online
collaboration platforms, 2) Establishing sustainable design curricula in universities, and 3) Understanding intellectual property rights in open
collaborative design. Future work for expanding cooperative innovation in the commons.
Research Papers and Working Reports (PDF docs)
- Working Paper: Sawhney, N. Distributed Cooperation and Property Rights in the Commons. Working Paper (Unpublished), October 31, 2002. (23 pages)
- Working Paper: Sawhney, N. The Sociological Nature of Intellectual Property Rights Emerging from Open Collaborative Design in University Settings. Working Paper (Unpublished), October 1, 2002. (34 pages)
- Conference Paper: Sawhney, N., Prestero, T., Griffith, S., Maguire, Y.
ThinkCycle: Supporting Open Collaboration and Sustainable Engineering Design in Education.
Development by Design (dyd02), 2nd International Conference on Open Collaborative Design for Sustainable Innovation,
Bangalore, India, December 1-2, 2002. (7 pages)
- Conference Paper: Sawhney, N. Open Cooperative Design in Studio Courses: The Challenges for Online Collaboration (Doctoral Colloquium). ACM 2002 Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW 2002). New Orleans, Louisiana. November 16-20, 2002. (2 pages)
- Working Paper: Sawhney, N. Collaborative Design and Learning in Studio Courses:
Summary of Online Survey Conducted at MIT. Working Paper (Unpublished), July 10, 2002. (23 pages)
- Thesis Proposal 2: Sawhney, N. Open Collaborative Design: Understanding the Role of Online Tools and Social Incentives Towards Sustainable Design and Learning. Ph.D. Thesis Proposal, June 2002. (22 pages)
- Sawhney, N. Dialogue with Thesis Committee and Next Steps. March 2002. (7 pages)
- Thesis Proposal 1: Sawhney, N. Open Collaborative Design: Sharing Evolving Design Knowldege in Distributed Social and Institutional Settings. Draft Thesis Proposal (version 1), December 2001. (27 pages)
- Journal Paper: Sawhney, N., Griffith, S., Maguire, Y., Prestero, T.
ThinkCycle: Sharing Distributed Design Knowledge for Open Collaborative Design.
International Journal of Technologies for the Advancement of Knowledge and Learning (TechKnowLogia), Volume 4, Issue 1, Jan-March 2002. (5 pages)
Nitin Biography | ThinkCycle.org
Updated: Feb 18, 2003