As mentioned above, there is ample motivation to develop a coherent basis for organizing the Web to create an open platform for communication and collaboration within a discipline. Hamalainen et al. [1] suggest that the objective of a collaborative system is ``to fuse computer and electronic communication technology into support systems that improve the pace and quality of discourse among persons collectively engaged in scientific investigations.''
In this section, we develop a complementarity theoretic model of drivers of net value to a user of a Collaboratory. This model helps rationalize how certain features taken together will enable Web users (e.g., MIS professionals, researchers and students) to achieve maximum value for their time spent on gathering information and interacting with peers on a Collaboratory.