Write a proposal for qualitative research on the network

[lauradereynal]

@secretrobotron @adamlofting

[lauradereynal]

As per today's meeting, let's scope out in details how we could conduct qualitative user research within the network and for the network. We want to understand the value for network members. Potentially try different experiments in H1 that we can learn from.

[adamlofting]

Let's try and link this up to the quant network analysis and make it a combined team project / ongoing theme.

As a starting point, what qual research questions would you like to explore around the assumptions in this analysis: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1iESY7AZCX2C1rvHsLyDAyAB8lRIHmonGrf9cABumNrY/edit#slide=id.ge8f972e1c_0_19

And, what would be the dream future scenario for being able to gather stories from the network à la https://www.globalgiving.org/storytelling/

[jgmac1106]

Here is an open source tool that I see being used often to analyze open MOOC-like spaces such as rhizo15, and clmooc: https://nodexl.codeplex.com/

Getting users to tell their stories

I am a big proponent that social network analysis can be used iteratively to strengthen and not just understand a network

Also a big proponent of increasing story telling among contributors overall. Next wave of open requires us helping people carve out a little corner of the web. This might be their movies, a blog, a tumblr feed, a webmaker project.

So in terms of how can this KPI gamed? By making the network better.

It makes data collection, scraping, and organizing more difficult but it would be a more natural setting if we scraped user case studies from all over the web.

User Case Study Templates

We can use well-defined templates as different "challenges" at different times to build user stories.

Over on Participation we are trying to create a practice of getting contributors to tell their story. For MozFest we gave a blogging challenge. Success rate was low I think >25%

For Mozlando Emma is going to do a simpler Thimble challenge. The design would easily work in Webmaker as well. We will have to see what success rate we get there.

Will be some learning there. I think MLN is building a club reporting feature directly in the teach.mozilla.org site.

No matter the data source for case studies I am going to keep pushing for contributors to tell their Mozilla stories. I want to leverage the spaces people build as also the places we meet for open learning experiences.

Semi-Private Spaces

I have never used Telegram before MozFest. Messaging apps are just taking off in the United States. The learning and advocacy there is fun to watch.

It raises an ethical dilemma, however, in terms of semi-private spaces. IRC is kind of the same way. It is a private channel that requires log-in.

The first step in network analysis IMO, is to write your data and privacy policies around the open research project. I always use Dav Cormier's as my template: https://sites.google.com/site/walkmyworldproject/privacy-research-guidelines

Mini-Fellows or microgrants

I am also thinking about ways to leverage researchers already in the network or who want to be in the network. Maybe small fellowships or microgrants (<500) for a competitive process and we can get multiple people looking across the networks.

We can build a pathway for open scholars while also leveraging their skill set.

[lauradereynal]

From today's conversation with Adam: "This qualitative research could help us design the leadership network as a product."

We should talk to new people and put together a design process.

Let's continue to talk during our meeting later today

[lauradereynal]

• What does our timeline looks like? What needs to be answered in H1 ?
• in H2 ?
• Who is in charge of designing the value proposition ?

[adamlofting]

Here's a doc to work from: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NE6l326mDEcLioETdTZBe7pdXRJThoHkrxu5eImQSmo/edit#