Dear OGSA-WG Member: Following the session today—and for those of you who did not attend the 4PM session—I would like to provide additional details about my ethnographic research of the OGF. 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 technology. 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 OGSA-WG was selected to participate in the study based on a number of criteria, particularly for its significance to the standardization efforts. The research involves ethnographic observations of your group, in addition to two other groups of the OGF, as well as interviews with 30-50 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 all serve this purpose. Participation of the work group in the study is on a purely voluntary basis. Members of the studied work 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 OGSA-WG’s list server when the report is available. If at any time and for any reason, you prefer your participation in the work 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. As a part of the study I would like to tape record the interaction of the work group so as to make sure that I remember accurately all the information discussed, especially the technical details. Note that pseudonyms will be used to mask the identity of work group members, as well as the name of the work group. The recordings will only be used by me. These data (including my typed notes) will be stored securely and encrypted to avoid a potential breach of confidentiality. If you prefer the work group be observed without you being taped, or if you would like me to turn off the tape at any point just let me know. If you have questions you may contact me at: Zack Kertcher Department of Sociology, University of Chicago 1126 East 59th Street Chicago, Illinois 60637 Phone: (773) 493-3360 Mobile: (773) 931-6227 Email: kertcher@uchicago.edu If you have any questions about your rights as participants 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 - Judd 121 Chicago, Il 60637 Phone: (773) 834-7835 Fax: (773) 834-8700 Email: sbsirbwise@listhost.uchicago.edu Thank you for your participation. I am looking forward to a productive and interesting year! Sincerely, Zack Kertcher ============================= Zack Kertcher Department of Sociology University of Chicago 1126 East 59th Street Chicago, Illinois 60637 Email: kertcher@uchicago.edu Phone: (773) 493-3360 Mobile:(773) 931-6227