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softwaresaved / common-form-questions

Contains the questions we ask on forms, with reasons why (e.g. dependence on an event) and issues to track requested changes to these and related discussions. Contact: @shoaibsufi
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Common Form Questions (CFQ)

Project Lead

Shoaib Sufi

Purpose

The Software Sustainability Institute runs many activities (e.g. Fellowship, Open Call, Workshops) that require asking questions about participants and collecting data. A consistency of approach in asking and collecting data will allow us to do better analysis in and across our activities making data collection more useful and analysis (more) comparable.

The CFQ documents the common questions we ask, reasons we collect them and applicability.

How we decide what to collect

There are many reasons to ask questions and collect data for activities, some of these are 'good' reasons and some less so.

Good reasons to collect data:

  1. For our funders and supporters (demographic data around diversity, domain, career stage, funders and geographic area come into this category)
  2. To help us run activities effectively (participation and logistical questions come into this category)
  3. To collect information to change our behavior (e.g. to find our where gaps might be in supporting research software or topics for a future workshop)

Bad ideas to collect data:

  1. 'Just in case' data collection; one should have a clear understanding as to why one is collecting the data

Things to keep in mind

Data Protection

In UK and the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) regulates organisations who collect, process and store personal data. In any case it is important to abide by any regulations around privacy you are bound by. For more information please see https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr/. An additional thing to remember is that you should not be storing the data indefinitely and local retention schedules apply - please contact your organisational data protection officers for further information.

Use of Data for Research

If you are collecting data to report back to funders, helping you run an event, or write a blog post with summary data then you will normally not need ethics approval from your institution/organisation. However, if you intend to use the data for research purposes you will likely need to go through any local ethical approval routes such that you can report your findings in a way that is acceptable to publications and your organisation.

Change process

  1. Raise an issue at - https://github.com/softwaresaved/common-form-questions/issues
  2. Discuss this with the Project Lead
  3. Have your proposed changes ready in the same format (see the *-questions.md files as examples); you could do this in a clone or a branch or just in the issue
  4. Submit this as a pull request - don't just commit / push (this allows time for review by the Project Lead or designate)

Filenames and intent

Categorised questions commonly asked in forms

Questions set by a flag in the CFQ format

Files pertaining to format of the CFQ

Usage of CFQ

Follow this flowchart to help you use the CFQ when constructing a questionnaire: CFQ FLOWCHART

Aside: link pertaining to form design best practice

Form design, i.e. how to present the questions and the flow of questions etc to users is out of scope for CFQ. However we are providing some links (which we will occasionally update) around form design which maybe of use to the users of the CFQ when they construct their survey/questionnairie/forms. If you have any further suggestions please contact the Project Lead or follow the Change process.