Inviting Participants – Open Access Focus Groups!
October 17, 2011
Dear Fellow Students,
Open Access Week 2011 is just around the corner (z.umn.edu/openaccess2011). This year the University of Minnesota Libraries are planning a series of activities which we hope you are able to attend. Open Access Week promotes the increased publication in, and use of, open access journals, which allow anyone with an internet connection to access up to date research online, for free! This enables students, as well as researchers, doctors, patients, entrepreneurs, the public, and people in developing countries to be able to access the most updated research and, in doing so, make better decisions and time investments. For more information visit about some student concerns regarding “Open Access” visit www.RighttoResearch.org.
To have a better idea of the concerns of graduate students at the University of Minnesota, I invite you to participate in a focus group on one of the following dates; October 20 and 21 (2 to 4 pm – East Bank – Room TBA), or October 24 (10 am to 12 pm – St. Paul Campus – Room TBA) to discuss this and other issues regarding graduate student publishing, and your opinions regarding open access and open content. Along with additional materials, these findings will be presented at an Open Access Week presentation on October 28, 2011 (http://z.umn.edu/openaccess2011). Refreshments will be provided during the focus group sessions.
To register to participate in the event please visit the following doodle poll (http://z.umn.edu/openpoll2011) and select the time which would be most convenient for you to attend. You will be asked to leave your email so that we can send you a friendly reminder the day before the focus group session you selected. If you would like to participate in the online forum group discussion instead please leave your contact information when completing the doodle poll. The online forum focus group discussion will take place between the 20th and 25th of October. A different question will be posted each day for discussion.
Thank you for your time,
Alfonso Sintjago
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Dear ….
I hope you are doing well. A friend from the U of M libraries recently asked me if I could speak about open access journals at the University of Minnesota and the concerns of U of M students regarding open access. Since then, I held a number of interviews with students but, after looking at the gathered information, we decided that it would be helpful to organize a number of focus groups to further discuss the subject.
I am currently organizing a couple of focus group sessions on the East Bank later this week to gain a better idea of the opinions and concerns of UMN students regarding open access journals and open content. Personally, my interest in the subject focuses on the impact they could have for developing countries as a way in which they would be able to have access to the most recent knowledge and contribute to its construction and conversation. Apart from wanting to learn more about the concerns of graduate students of CEHD, I am also highly interested in finding out more about the concerns of other international CEHD students. Would it be possible to perhaps share a flier with information with other CEHD students through the ISS listserv?
The focus groups will be held Oct 20 (2 to 4 pm), 21 (10 am to 12 pm), and 24 (10 am to 12 pm). The rooms are yet to be determined. The focus groups on Oct 20 and Oct 21st will be held on the Minneapolis campus. We would like to invite any graduate student of CEHD that is interested in discussing this subject. The objective of these focus groups will be to find out their opinions and concerns. Students can register to participate in the focus group by emailing me at sintj002@umn.edu or by visiting the following doodle poll – (http://z.umn.edu/openpoll2011). Students that would like to participate in the online forum group discussion instead can leave their contact information when completing the doodle poll. The online forum focus group discussion will take place between the 20th and 25th of October. A different question will be posted each day for discussion.
Thank you for your time. Best wishes,
Alfonso Sintjago
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Hi …..
I hope you are doing well. I was wondering if you would be able to attend a focus group session this Thursday (Oct 20 – 2 to 4 pm – East Bank), Friday (Oct 21 – 10 am to 12 pm – East Bank) or Monday (Oct 24 – 10 am to 12 pm – St. Paul) to discuss open access journals and open content. UMN Open Access Week will be here soon and we are hoping to collect information about CEHD students and their research. I know this is short notice but after we looked at the data we had we noticed that we were missing a key component, namely UMN student perspectives. I hope you are able to join this discussion, please let me know if you would be able to join us or if you have a friend or another student from CEHD that may be able to come. We will provide refreshments and it should be a friendly and interesting discussion. Along with additional materials, these findings will be presented at an Open Access Week presentation on October 28, 2011 (http://z.umn.edu/openaccess2011). If you would like to participate in the online forum group discussion instead you can leave your contact information when completing the doodle poll – (http://z.umn.edu/openpoll2011). The online forum focus group discussion will take place between the 20th and 25th of October. A different question will be posted each day for discussion.
Thank you for your time. Best wishes,
Alfonso Sintjago
Alfonso Jose Sintjago
Phone #: 352-359-4026
UMN PhD Student – Comparative and International Development Education
Instructional Technology Fellow – School of Social Work
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Hi …..
I hope you are doing well. I was wondering if you would be able to attend a focus group session this Thursday (Oct 20 – 2 to 4 pm – East Bank), Friday (Oct 21 – 10 am to 12 pm – East Bank) or Monday (Oct 24 – 10 am to 12 pm – St. Paul) to discuss open access journals and open content. As a member of GradSEHD I would be great to have your opinion and I thought perhaps you would be interested in participating. UMN Open Access Week will be here soon and we are hoping to collect information about CEHD students and their research. I know this is short notice but after we looked at the data we had we noticed that we were missing a key component, namely UMN student perspectives. I hope you are able to join this discussion, please let me know if you would be able to join us or if you have a friend or another student from CEHD that may be able to come. We will provide refreshments and it should be a friendly and interesting discussion. Along with additional materials, these findings will be presented at an Open Access Week presentation on October 28, 2011 (http://z.umn.edu/openaccess2011). If you would like to participate in the online forum group discussion instead you can leave your contact information when completing the doodle poll – (http://z.umn.edu/openpoll2011). The online forum focus group discussion will take place between the 20th and 25th of October. A different question will be posted each day for discussion.
Thank you for your time. Best wishes,
Alfonso Sintjago
Alfonso Jose Sintjago
Phone #: 352-359-4026
UMN PhD Student – Comparative and International Development Education
Instructional Technology Fellow – School of Social Work
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Hi ….
I hope you are doing well. I was wondering if we could talk sometime in the next few days at any time of your convenience? I recently interviewed Tryggvi for 2 hours about Reconsidering Development, Open Access journals and Open Content, and I would love to learn more about your opinions and the journey of reconsidering development. I will probably mention Reconsidering Development during a few minutes of the panel on Open Access that I will be part of on October 28 and it would be great to learn more about your position regarding open access before then. The presentation will be the 28th of October. Let me know if it would be possible for us to meet before then. I attached a flier regarding a focus group session I will conduct this week to gather additional information. I would love to talk to you one on one but if you are able to attend the focus group, that would be great. We will provide refreshments and it should be a friendly and interesting discussion. Along with additional materials, these findings will be presented at an Open Access Week presentation on October 28, 2011 (http://z.umn.edu/openaccess2011). If you are interested you can register to participate in the focus group by emailing me or registering by via the following doodle poll – (http://z.umn.edu/openpoll2011). If you would like to participate in the online forum group discussion instead you can leave your contact information when completing the doodle poll. The online forum focus group discussion will take place between the 20th and 25th of October. A different question will be posted each day for discussion.
I hope your research is going well. Best,
Alfonso Sintjago
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Hey ….
It was great to interview you. I am attaching some of the questions that I have been thinking about. It is still pretty rough but I guess between now and Thursday, I have to get them finished. Feel free to add any questions or change some of the questions if you think it would be helpful. I recently shared these same questions via Google Docs – http://tinyurl.com/66huz9p. Also, I will be conducting the focus groups this Thursday, Friday, and Monday. Attached is a flier for the event. Along with additional materials, these findings will be presented at an Open Access Week presentation on October 28, 2011 (http://z.umn.edu/openaccess2011). If you know any CEHD students who may be interested in going, it would be great if they could attend. Students can register to participate in the focus group by emailing me or registering by via the following doodle poll – (http://z.umn.edu/openpoll2011). Also, if you could send me the name or the email of the person and name of the other open UMN journal you mentioned that would be great. Thanks!
Best,
Alfonso Sintjago
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Hi, I look forward to meeting with you and discussing Open Access journals and Open Content. Please let me know if, and when, you will be able to attend a focus group session (Oct 20, 21, 24). If you are unable to attend a physical focus group, I encourage you to join the following online focus group forum to discuss Open Access between October 20th and 24th. There are a series of questions. We encourage you to answer all of them and respond to the comments of other participants. Thank you.
Best, Alfonso Sintjago
