Since our last update, we have submitted a paper for publication about our quantitative analysis of the relationship among team composition and structural characteristics and team productivity of teams that have used the Mag Lab during the last few years. This paper was primarily authored by co-PI Besiki Stvilia, senior personnel Chris Hinnant, and graduate research assistant Katy Schindler; other members of the team contributed as well and were listed as co-authors. We have revised the paper based on reviewers’ feedback and await further word on its status. We have also begun a second quantitative analysis, led by Hinnant with substantial input from Stvilia and Schindler, which addresses the quality of Mag Lab team publications using citation count information and team composition and structural characteristics. We are currently gathering and analyzing this data, as well as working on a literature review for the paper.
We submitted a poster proposal for the American Society for Information Science and Technology (ASIST) 2010 conference taking place later this month, which was accepted for the conference’s poster session. This poster will also discuss our findings from the quantitative analysis of the relations between team composition and productivity, as well as our future plans in this area. The panel proposal we previously submitted for the ASIST 2010 conference was also approved. It will consist of researchers from four NSF-funded VOSS projects at Syracuse University, Penn State University, the University of Arkansas, and Florida State University. This proposal was led by co-PI Gary Burnett, who will serve as moderator of the panel. We expect our PI Kathy Burnett, most of the co-PIs, and graduate research assistant Adam Worrall will be attending the conference.
Observations of teams working at the Mag Lab are now in progress. Co-PI Paul Marty and graduate research assistant Worrall have created, with feedback from the team, two observation forms to assist in and guide the observation process. We have, in addition, recruited and trained two undergraduate interns, Ryan Huff and Jessica Roberts, to aid in observations and interviews. Having completed their observation and safety training, they are now helping with these observations in earnest. The team has also finalized interview questions, and pilot interviews will be conducted shortly by PI Kathy Burnett and co-PI Michelle Kazmer, with the additional aid of our two interns. Finally, the qualitative coding of the observations and interviews is beginning in parallel with the observations; development of the coding scheme is ongoing.
As ever, we greatly appreciate the help of those who have aided us with our project, and hope those of you who we approach to observe or interview in the near future are similarly willing and enthusiastic about helping us with our research! If you have any questions, comments, or feedback about the project, our Web site, or our progress, please feel free to leave a comment below or contact us directly using the information at the bottom left of this page.
One Comment
interesting, thanks