Abstract: The present invention disclosed comprises a method for providing collaboration functionality to support sensemaking capabilities of participating agents within a collaboration and among collaborations. The invention enhances the ability of participating agents to maximize their sensemaking effectiveness as they work within a collaboration and supports the shifting among collaborations. Each participating agent may initiate Collaboration Envelopes™ within many collaborations. It is possible to have multiple Collaboration Envelopes™ initiated simultaneously to support shifting among collaborations. Collaboration Envelopes™ can maintain Collaboration State Properties with customized views for each participating agent so that participating agents may ascertain what has changed in collaboration state properties since the last time that the participating agent evaluated them. Within Collaboration Envelopes,™ files can be dynamically categorized to support rationale building.