[gin] GIN-CG's Participation in a Sociological Study of the OGF

[Zack Kertcher]

Dear GIN-CG Member: 

My name is Zack Kertcher and I am a researcher in the
department of sociology at the University of Chicago. I am
conducting a study that will look at the ways in which the
grid community works to standardize grid computing. The
primary motivation for this study is that despite a well
established sociological tradition that examines science and
technology, we know very little about the social underpinnings
of open standardization, and, particularly, of standardization
efforts that involve such a culturally and socially diverse
community as the OGF. The GIN-CG was selected to participate
in the study based on a number of criteria, including its
central role at the OGF, the high concentration of scientists,
and the relatively high European presence.

The research involves ethnographic observations of your group,
in addition to two other groups of the OGF, as well as
interviews with 40+ selected members of the OGF community.
This collected information will be used in published research
as well as in academic presentations. (If you are unfamiliar
with this type of research, "Epistemic Cultures: How the
Sciences Make Knowledge"
http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog/KNOEPI.html is a good
example). 

The ethnographic observational component of the study includes
a continuous documentation of the interactions of members of
the work groups throughout the duration of the study, for
approximately one year. Attending public meetings, listening
to telephone conferences of the work group, and subscribing to
the public mailing list, serve this purpose. Participation of
the working group in the study is on a purely voluntary basis. 

Findings from the study will directly contribute to
understanding the social underpinning of open standardization
processes. They could serve the OGF to better understand the
processes that take place in working-groups, and potentially
improve these mechanisms. The outsider’s perspective could
also benefit the GIN community. Members of the studied working
groups are entitled to a free copy of the Study Report that
summarizes the study and its key findings. The Study Report is
expected to be available at the beginning of 2009. You may
also choose to receive a copy of the full study. I will send
an email to you through the GIN-CG’s list server when the
report is available. If at any time and for any reason, you
prefer your participation in the working group not to be
documented, you are free not to. If at any time you would like
to stop the observation, please tell me. We can stop and
continue at a later date, or stop altogether. 

Note that pseudonyms will be used to mask the identity of
working group members, as well as the name of the working
group. Observational data collected will be stored securely
and encrypted to avoid a potential breach of confidentiality.
All the procedures of this study, as described above, were
approved by the Department of Sociology and the Institutional
Review Board at the University of Chicago, and the GFSG at the
OGF. More recently another major group at the OGF has approved
its inclusion in the study. GIN Chairs and Secretary were also
informed about the study and approved participation.  

If you have any questions about the study you may contact me at: 
Zack Kertcher 
Department of Sociology
University of Chicago 
1126 East 59th Street Chicago, Illinois 60637 
Phone: (773) 493-3360
kertcher at uchicago.edu 

As I plan starting my study of the GIN-CG during or prior to
OGF20, please email to me your questions before Monday, April
16. If you prefer, you may also contact GIN-CG’s Secretary,
Morris Riedel at: M.Riedel at fz-juelich.de. 

If you have any questions about your rights as a participant
in this research, you can contact the following office at the
University of Chicago: 
Social & Behavioral Sciences Institutional Review Board 
University of Chicago 
5835 south Kimbark Chicago, IL 60637 
Judd 121
Phone: (773) 834-7835 
sbsirbwise at listhost.uchicago.edu 

Thank you for your participation. 

I am looking forward to a productive and interesting year! 

Sincerely, 

Zack Kertcher