Discuss a Document

Question

My users have requested the ability to start threaded conversations around documents in a document library.

This can be achieved with a third party add-in, http://www.hhogdev.com/Products/Document-Discussion-2010/Overview.aspx. This is OK, but the products not really a 'prime time' component for serious production use.

I've seen the "Create Document Workspace" option, but it makes a copy of the document in another location.

I'm having a hard time believing that SharePoint, a collaborative platform by design, wouldn't have the ability to discuss and work on a document collaboratively?

Surely there is a way to allow users to discuss a document together?

Answer 1

Yes, there is - there is the "Create Document Workspace" option.

Alternatively, you could use a lookup column on your Discussion list to refer to a particular document in a document library.

You could also modify the 'Properties' form on the document library to display any discussions that refer to it.

Or alternatively you could allow attachments on your Discussions list, though that probably loses you the version control on the document.

Also, don't underestimate the utility of Word itself for collaborating on a document (assuming it is a Word document) - comments and document tracking are actually quite useful.

Answer 2

I use SharePoint 2013 Online. The issue I have found with adding a Comments column on a document library or custom list is that if the users want to edit and then save the doc or item then the discussion will change the author of the latest comment to the last modifier. Infuriating. It's unfortunately not an option to manually add a discussion column if your users wish to edit the document.

Discussion boards look terrible and are voted (here at my workplace) "not user-friendly" and don't work the same way if you edit the view to "flat".

The best way to do is to use a document library and use version comments.

Answer 3

The closest you can get with the out-of-the-box way is by creating a Team Discussion List through the Discussion Template. You can add a topic and it supports attaching files to a single topic. You can attach your documents to this item and initiate a discussion with the team members over the item.

Answer 4

You could also try the "Sharevoyance Comments" app for SharePoint online and SharePoint 2013 on-premise.

This app allows you to click on your documents in a tree view, and then see everyone's comments in a central location. This may be preferable to the built-in functionality.

Here's a link to the Office store: https://store.office.com/app.aspx?assetid=WA104379947

[Full disclosure: I developed this app.]