Collaborative work has been strengthened thanks to a series of global dynamics, interdisciplinary practices and, above all, the appearance of new tools for collaboration. Given that this is a phenomenon affecting information, information professionals have to take it account when studying efficient processes for creating, broadcasting and participating in information. This article offers a quick look at the different aspects where collaborative work has a central role to play with information and documentation which, as interdisciplinary practices, have to promote these new ways of working and play an active part. Likewise, some of the problems encountered are also detailed in the text. Thus, the article centres on the new sources of information created through collaboration, such as Wikipedia, and collaborative databases and digital repositories as a possible alternative to traditional databases. The final part of the article reflects on whether collaborative work can become an alternative to the impact factor and whether a new kind of collective intellectual property will emerge.