October 01, 2004, 18:11
KallehCorroboration vs. Collaboration
I heard a talk today where the panelist said that they were writing a "collaborative paper," which, she said, was the same as a "corroborative paper."
The definition for "corroborative" is "tending to strengthen or confirm," while that of "collaborative" is "accomplished by working together, especially in a joint intellectual effort."
Do you think these 2 words can be used synonymously?
October 01, 2004, 18:18
jheemI think she was using rhetoric. Or maybe she was confused.
October 02, 2004, 03:09
Richard EnglishQuote "...Do you think these 2 words can be used synonymously?..."
No.
October 02, 2004, 09:56
BobHaleI guess it might be both, a collaborative effort to corroborate previous work.
They don't mean the same thing though. I suspect the person just didn't understand the words.
October 02, 2004, 10:17
arniequote:
Do you think these 2 words can be used synonymously?
To corroborate the earlier replies, no.
October 02, 2004, 19:57
KallehJust as I thought! Thanks, guys. This is why I like this site.
October 02, 2004, 20:45
tinmanTo
collaborate is to work together. To
corroborate is to provide supporting evidence or to confirm. See the synonyms under
confirm.
Tinman