  Collaboratories refer to laboratories where scientists can work together
while they are in distant locations from each other and from key equipment.
They have captured the interest both of CSCW researchers and of science funders
who wish to optimize the use of rare scientific equipment and expertise. We
examine the kind of CSCW conceptions that help us best understand the character
of working relationships in these scientific collaboratories. Our model,
inspired by actor-network theory, considers technologies as Socio-technical
Interaction Networks (STINs). This model provides a rich understanding of the
scientific collaboratories, and also a more complete understanding of the
conditions and activities that support collaborative work in them. We
illustrate the significance of STIN models with several cases drawn from the
fields of high energy physics and materials science.
