Need to Collaborate With Colleagues? Use Google Docs!

Dr. Jasper McSnasper from Falmouth, Massachusetts, wrote to me and said, "Hey Steve,  your blog about Wikipedia and MedPedia was nice, but you didn't mention that wikis were also originally designed to allow people to collaborate online." And you know what, Dr. J is right on. I didn't mention that. So yes, you can use wikis to collaborate with others. But there are other tools that allow you do that using software very similar to what you're used to using, and those tools are called Google Docs. Check them out online and take a tour that will orient you to how they work. There are online free versions of software that allow you to write (similar to Word), create spreadsheets (similar to Excel), or create presentations you can convert to Powerpoint.

Here's our friends at CommonCraft to again explain how Google Docs work: 

So once you've had a chance to look at that, consider how you might use it to collaborate with your colleagues on a book chapter or journal article project.

Considering Spreadsheets

Google Docs also has a great spreadsheet function and you can use that for a variety of uses such as managing information for reports or other things you might need to prepare.

CommonCraft isn't the only outfit that makes helpful videos on how to use things. Google has its own channel on YouTube. Here are a couple of Google tutorials that explain how Google Docs and Spreadsheets can help you manage information: 

This Google Channel video explains how you can use forms in organizing information from multiple people.

This Google Channel video shows how you can pull other information from Google searches into your spreadsheets.

(sorry I cannot embed them in this blog, apparently Google does not provide its embed code on YouTube!).

Here are two more tutorials on Google Spreadsheets and Docs that I can embed -- these are by Expert Village. You can also search YouTube for video tutorials on Google Docs or Google Spreadsheets. There's a lot out there, by different groups and people. In this regard YouTube can be a wonderful resource for "how to" information.

Doing Presentations with Google Docs: 

Google Docs also lets you create and share presentations along with documents and spreadsheets, so you can collaborate with someone you might be giving a panel lecture with for a conference (like CHEST 2010) or your own institution's grand rounds. Here are a couple of videos showing how to share and work on presentations using Google Doc Presentation tools: 

Here's how to import or export slides between PowerPoint and the Google Docs Presentations feature.

Once you view these, you will probably start getting ideas about how you can utilize these versatile tools for your own projects and work. You may also want your administrative assistants or research assistants to be using them. Although I don't intend to be shilling for Google, when I see free tools that are easy to use and can potentially increase efficiency and lessen your workload, I feel obligated to point them out. And as I mentioned, if you go out and search YouTube you'll find tons of other videos teaching you tricks and tips for using Google Docs and other collaborative tools.

About the Author

Stephen Welch

Senior Vice President, Communications
Executive Editor, CHEST

This blog, "It Ain't Rocket Surgery" is intended to help busy health-care professionals find useful online and mobile resources that will enhance their self-education and professional research efforts, or point out important topics of discussion related to online information and content. The blog's title is a Yogi Berra style mash-up of two common phrases, "it ain't brain surgery" and "it ain't rocket science". I hope it will be casual, fun, insightful, and -- most of all -- educational.

You can follow me on Twitter. 

I currently serve ACCP as the Senior Vice President of Communications, as well as the Executive Editor of CHEST, the ACCP’s flagship journal. During my 15 years here, ACCP has focused on growing and developing the editorial, technological, and business aspects of the College. We are constantly striving to make the journal and other ACCP educational content as accessible and useful to clinicians as possible.

When not at work, I like to spend time scuba diving with sharks, collecting original comic book artwork, exploring the digital world, and searching for good BBQ.

Your feedback about the blog is always appreciated. So are tips on good BBQ joints.