I've recently started at a new job and pairing has helped me become effective there very quickly. I am, however, having a hard time when we must do brief joint research during our workflow, covering API features, code examples, or command options. My team lead urges us to do all research on our pairing station, rather than our individual laptops, and to synchronize our research by verbally negotiating the steps between different web resources.

I research, read, and absorb information differently from my pairing partner, and I feel much more productive when I can follow a thread of research to the next web page exactly when I want to, rather than trying to keep exact pace and place with what my partner's reading. We're both smart and fast, but we can't help moving in different ways and instantaneous velocities when we're figuring stuff out. It seems so much easier to poke around individually for a minute until one of us says "I've got it," then get back together and code.

When you pair program, how do you handle short research tasks? What works best for you, and how to you keep in sync with your partner?