QEducation1d_A_1: IASSIST's efforts at Education are strongly served by: (“Other” answers)

Links to materials and email responses from other members via the list serv Presentations at annual conference IASSIST-L and IASSIST blog The annual conference itself presentations at other conferences Direct contact with other IASSISTers listserv regular conference sessions The mailing list The listserv networking Webinars / other online trainings

QEducation2: The following is the most effective way that IASSIST fulfills its Education objective:

Workshops and training at conferences are probably the most effective but we could really ramp up what we have on the web site.

workshops and, more broadly, the annual conference programming Presentations at the annual conference inform IASSIST members about new developments and improve their

understanding of relevant issues. Workshops at the conference I really can't respond to this item. Workshops and list-serv, networking IASSIST website conference workshops or projects conference session Participation in Library and Social Science education bringing delegates from countries with less developed data infrastructures/cultures to IASSIST conferences Offering workshops at the annual conference, though there can only be so many topics covered at that time. The annual conference Don't think I can answer this. *I'm* well served by the listserv and the conference, but are we talking about

educating data librarians, non-data librarians or the general population? Workshops Conference, workshops, and outreach program Putting material from conferences AND workshops on the IASSIST web site for people access after as needed. workshops and the listerv Activities at annual conference. I read IASSIST Quarterly as I don't get to many IASSIST conferences. IASSIST Quarterly. The workshops at the annual conference, but also the conference itself. Currently, via old fashioned networking. I think it could be better served with a more robust internet-based resource

"centre" ... the problem for us is always with what labor? Through strengthening the social science data community so that members new to the field have an instant network

of experts. In my particular case, this has proven most successful through the listserv and opportunities to attend workshops and present at sessions at the conference.

Organizing, hosting and offering training at its conference via annual conference workshops and sessions Conference presentations and making them available on the website. International outreach program If the aim is to keep up uninterrupted education, then we should have a subtantive collection of online materials for

all members to use. networking among members via the mailing list. Also, the IQ is helpful for raising awareness about the variety of

issues of interest to the social science data community. One of the most important aspects of IASSIST is how it helps otherwise isolated people "find their tribe." IASSIST is critical in helping these people stay connected.

Web based training / multimedia material / advocate on mailing list (not only i-assist!)

QEducation3: The following is the least effective way that IASSIST fulfills its Education objective:

Well, I guess we could improve what is on the web site - but really I think the organization does a good job of this. paradoxically, the annual conference programming, which seems to be getting more narrowly focused on technology

and metadata generation/maintenance Not enough content about actual data sources. In the end it takes presenters but it is not coming through. Materials on the Website - it is in much need of an update website just putting materials on a website without proper support website materials would not say the website offers much in the way of education website The least effective way is the composite of the above. That is, there is a presentation at the conference or a

workshop given and there is no material available for others. At the very least there should an annotated bibliography.

the web site "If there are materials on the web site that would be of interest, I'm not aware of them. Maybe there should be more

effort to develop and/or publicize those. Also, the conference is very rich, but if a member due to conflicts can't make a certain year, there feels like a

disconnect. I know the presentations are made available on the web site, but maybe there are ways in which non-attending members can be encouraged to use them or otherwise participate (last year's second life presence was an interesting example)."

Currently, the Education Committee is struggling to maintain cohesion. The committee structure itself is need of reinvigoration.

website Being an all-volunteer force means that while we get some things done, it can be a rather haphazard process. The

haphazard nature of events can be very upsetting to some people.. particularly if their activities are dependent upon the actions of those whose ambiguity tolerance levels are high (or higher).

Workshops at the annual conference are great if you can attend, but with budget cuts, fewer people will be able to take advantage of that opportunity.

QEducation4: Comments:

I think it might help to think about what other areas might be covered in training and workshops - perhaps more on statistics and research methods, or more on XML, PHP, other data-related technologies.

I really can't respond to this item. I don't know enough about what has and hasn't been done. Members continue to share their knowledge/expertise in IASSIST website, blog and list. The contents of workshops in

IASSIST annual conference are always impressive. Also Workshops in other settings besides annual conf I would include the conference sessions and poster sessions as being very effective in the education function, because

we all attend them to learn something or be enlightened. I'm fairly new to the organization, More needs to be done around things like certification and partnering with other organizations to deliver professional

development I rarely if ever go to the web site. I just looked at it to see what I was missing and its just not someplace I would check

for education and training I think that educating the memebership is one of the key roles that IASSIST plays Educational outreach needs are broader than the current committee charge (which was simply to focus on

professional development.) This has always had a strong tendency to drift into promoting undergraduate education - and the conflated issues lead to Committee identity issues. There is definitely a need for both - but the word "education" seemed to make things a bit confusing. Also, career development and IASSIST membership promotion could easily seriously overlap.. but again the Membership committee has identity issues.. as does "outreach" .. which sounds a lot like membership promotion (and etc.)

Some lower-profile means of education would be very helpful, such as a knowledge base built off of the information shared in the listserv (a more easily accessible email archive could accomplish this, or some 2.0 means of sharing such as shared bookmarks).

Collegial exchange at conferences is also educational. It would be great if workshops were less expensive. The international program reaches out and helps "on the ground" to those without many options. Conference

workshops are important, but mainly reach those who can afford conference attendance. Materials on the website are excellent in theory, but require overcoming personal inertia. In the ideal world....

In light of poor finances, it would be great if there were more Webinars, online courses, etc., so that people who can't make it to the annual conference can still learn.

QOutreach1e_A_1: IASSIST's efforts at Outreach are strongly served by: (“Other” responses)

Posting conference presentations on the web presentations at other conferences Direct particiaption by knowledgeable members with other organizations The mailing list funding outreach fellows

QOutreach2: The following is the most effective way that IASSIST fulfills its Outreach objective:

Outreach committee Definately the Outreach Committee. Posting conference presentations on the web enables members and potential members to see the issues that are

being presented and discussed by the IASSIST community. Has done a great job of recruiting for Africa. Needs to do a similar effort for Latin America. I would say the outreach committee does a decent job offering outreach support. word of mouth, recommendations from other librarians, organizations, etc Collaborating with related organizations Colloboration with related organizations outreach committee work I really don't know much about IASSIST outreach work The Outreach Committee's work. Committee and conference the outreach committee By bringing in a limited number of people from other continents/developing countries to increase awareness of data

issues Outreach committee Formal and established relationships with other professional organizations in allied fields. Direct networking has supplied the best mechanism thus far for Outreach. After that, there have been several people

from underrepresented areas who've found us via the IASSIST website. The efforts to bring participants to the conference from countries that have not yet been involved in IASSIST seem

very effective. By inviting, supporting and engaging colleagues in countries without an established IASSIST membership base Collaboration and strategic alliances with related organizations welcoming newcomers is very effective. IASSIST is most effective at communicating a sense of belonging. It is impressive how quickly some people may

become more deeply involved with IASSIST after attending a conference or two. This is particularly true of some Outreach Fellows.

Collaboration/Partnership with other AGENCIES

QOutreach3: The following is the least effective way that IASSIST fulfills its Outreach objective:

I didn't even know about the IASSIST at a Glance brochure so maybe more 'outreach' about outreach would be a good idea.

Haven't done much to attract graduate student interest in the field, except when the conference is at an institution where such graduate students are around.

perhaps the collaboration with other organizations - at this point I think perhaps a stronger push to ALA/ACRL needs to be made.

I don't see any outreach from IASSIST to sister organizations, especially not to APDU. Perhaps there is outreach in the library community.

website....it is too passive IASSIST has a cliquey feeling, that is difficult if you are not one of the 'in crowd' particularly for non US members I think the efforts to welcome newcomers should not only be oriented toward international newcomers. I think

specialized efforts for those folks are one of our best successes but perhaps there should be more of an effort to welcome all new members. Maybe recognition at a reception? Maybe a mentoring program? Maybe a special session for new attendees to help them orient to the conference and let them ask questions?

Not enough effort to welcome newcomers e.g. at conferences Collaboration and strategic alliances. I never hear much about these...which alliances? what collaborations? Collaboration with other organizations "Item D above; I know that some efforts have been made to work with CODATA, but I'm not sure what we've done

beyond that (maybe that's a problem not of lack of action but of lack of awareness on my part as a member). This is an important area and maybe more resources should be put towards it in the future, in order to make sure that we're engaged with all of the data initiatives currently taking hold internationally.

Secondly, the above brochure is not in and of itself helpful, but only as well as it's used. Have there been efforts at its distribution, e.g. at other related conferences? If so, maybe those are the activities we should gauge (going out and handing it out in appropriate venues), not the existence of the brochure per se. Again, maybe this is done in a way of which I'm not awere; if so, would have given the above a higher rating."

Effective or financially effective? .. flying people all around the world to attend meetings is really fantastic for the small number of people we can reach this way - but there needs to be better follow up with the recipients and some kind of participatory promise.. (and we're working on it.)

The "IASSIST at a Glance" brochure brochure on web. IASSIST at a Glance is good to have but I see it secondary in respect to all the other ways. Being an all-volunteer force means that while we get some things done, it can be a rather haphazard process. The

haphazard nature of events can be very upsetting to some people.. particularly if their activities are dependent upon the actions of those whose ambiguity tolerance levels are high (or higher).

Supporting INDIVIDUALS

QOutreach4: Comments:

I think it is important to be prudent and consider carefully the organizations with whom we form alliances - I would not like to see IASSIST overtaken by another group.

Certainly there are strong alliances with ICPSR, IFDO, and like organizations. Not sure there are similar feelers out to Educause, ASIS. That said, we're a small and all-volunteer organization, largely dependent on our employing organizations for byproduct funding. Only so much we can do.

I think that the Outreach objective has lost focus; it used to be strictly geographical and yet now it seems that we're reaching out to other organizations yet I haven't seen any of that. This objective needs to be clarified and reworked.

I am happy that IASSIST is far more welcoming of newcomers than when I first joined several years ago. IASSIST could more actively collaborate and create strategic alliances with related organizations alliances are effective only once willing partners have made a commitment "at a Glance" is not on the first page We could still do more to partner with other institutions and raise the profile of IASSIST "IASSIST does not really do much publicity, knowledge of the organization is usually word of mouth. An effort should be made to distribute flyers at related conferences and ICPSR events" I had to LOOK for the IASSIST at a Glance. So 1) I have to know its there and 2) I have to find it. There should be a link

on the home page. If someone stumbles on the site you want them to get a quick picture "at a glance". I talk about IASSIST at many meetings and workshops but really didn't know about this flyer. I'm sure I heard about it when it came out, but it certainly hasn't been reinforced to print and use it. I just give the web site. The website itself is very inward looking and organized for members, it does not appear to be a promotional tool.

I think that IASSIST should pick a small number of other professional/data organizations to work with on common goals. CO-DATA comes to mind

Note: for the above (and all the pages), found some of the wording confusing, so I'm answering "strongly served" by commenting on how well those items are done (not how important in theory they are for contributing to the particular goal); hope that's what you intended

I'm so relatively new to IASSIST that I can barely comment on this. I'm eager to see how the Outreach redesign session goes at the 09 meeting. I believe that IASSIST has a potential role to play in the growing area of social sciences data support at undergraduate

colleges, where data are increasingly used in the classroom, but librarians, technologists, and interested faculty cannot specialize in data support. There is not yet a strong community of support among data librarians in colleges, though they are growing in number.

The organizational mandate of the International Outreach Committee needs to be clarified. The basic statement at the top of this page does not reflect the current International Outreach mandate.

QAdvocacy1d_A_1: IASSIST’s efforts at Advocacy are strongly served by: (“Other” responses)

Efforts of IASSIST members advocating on data management issues. Engagement with the institutional repository community. the IASSIST web site communicating these efforts to the rest of the membership

QAdvocacy2: The following is the most effective way that IASSIST fulfills its Advocacy objective:

Well, really, all of the above The DLI is a stellar success story regarding data access advocacy. Or maybe that would have come about without

IASSIST as an organization. Definitely DDI I'm not personally involved in A and B above, but I gather from emails that there's a lot going on. Members advocate issues related to social science datasets locally and collaborate with colleagues nationally and

internationally. through members' actions Metadata standards presences on standards groups The efforts of IASSIST members advocating on issues of data access Broad involvement in digital preservation and access. Strong support for DDI at the conference advocating standards no comment COPAFS for those of us in the United States. word of mouth By serving as a convener for those who have a voice for social science data and metadata standards, and a voice for

emerging preservation and access project. Access is still not open enough, so advocating on issues of data access is still number one. Having people involved at all levels who then report back about what's up and how it's going. Reach beyond the IASSIST community, in particular researchers and data producers

QAdvocacy3: The following is the least effective way that IASSIST fulfills its Advocacy objective:

We do not do enough to work with statistical/software package companies to develop better ways of storing and managing data. We do not do enough work with those developing web tools for data storage and analysis.

I think IASSIST is very successful in the advocacy role and no area is really lacking. IASSIST never participates in advocacy efforts re the US statistical system, and it should. IASSIST could better communicate its objectives. members working on preservation is dependent on the priorities set by a member's home institution not sure no comment Lack of a formal mechanism for IASSIST to take a stance on data access issues. Granted most issues are the perview

of a single country, and IASSIST is an international organization. But IASSIST should endeavor to establish a formal procedure to deal with specific issues within given countries.

word of mouth . Connecting with other producers/publishers/organizers/archivers of data outside of the social sciences world, such as

in the sciences, GIS, business world, etc. The IQ is important for a kind of standard recognition format.. but it is not so fast. The blog is good but the need for

gate-keepers means that it's a quiet progress as well. However, this is all related to the lack of a professional staff to help manage the overhead of these kinds of communication issues.

QAdvocacy4: Comments:

I really appreciate the efforts getting more international representation and data access. Is IASSIST as an organisation officially involved in DDI? Beyond broad reaching initiatives like the DDI, the best way for IASSIST is for individual members to get involved in

projects in their own jurisdictions and apply the principles and practices that IASSIST stands for. Word of mouth is a great way to promote data management though it is also inefficient on its own. Advocacy could

be better served with a higher profile and collaboration with other data-support organizations (eg: CODATA) - but this is going to take a more clearly defined and shared identity among IASSIST members. Also, the stalwart core of IASSIST is aging and while the replacements are coming up strong, there are no more of them.. yet the organization is growing and the needs expanding. IASSIST as an organization needs to KNOW what makes it special and why it should continue to exist.

I think more emphasis and involvement in digital preservation is important because of the glut of data production in general right now. I think there is a potential role for education of the public about data standards.

It is difficult for an international member organization to take on lobbying action but is able to endorse and support the development of standards and to serve as a place where advocacy can be articulated at conferences and via the website and IQ.

IASSIST should be agitating for its newest members to engage with institutional issues of "institutional repositories", and scholarly publishing (open data initiatives). Also, encourage them to have the skills and the chutzpah to proselytize to new researchers and social science grad students understand the power of DDI for sharing social science data world wide,

If semantic web/search ever takes off, it's imperative that research data (collection, access, preservation) is smoothly integrated to that thinking. Therefore I see involvement in metadata work being very important way also in future.

".. oops.. duplicate of 3) The IQ is important for a kind of standard recognition format.. but it is not so fast. The blog is good but the need for

gate-keepers means that it's a quiet progress as well. However, this is all related to the lack of a professional staff to help manage the overhead of these kinds of communication issues."

QDirections1d_A_1: The following strategic areas should remain (or become) an important focus within IASSIST:

Making connections to e-Science, a profile raising activity as well as a useful one (for them!) Continue to try to make IASSIST more "International) more clearly identifying C. the survival of IASSIST in this economic downturn

QDirections2: Comments:

I really think that IASSIST needs to be at the table in terms of advocacy and technology development - this is the most important area on which to focus.

I think all three areas are important, but more empahsis needs made on education and professional development activities that can go on beyond the conference. This goes hand in hand with outreach - definitely a stronger presence is needed in library organizations like ALA/ACRL.

C "Advocacy on issues of importance to IASSIST" is too vague. A and B both are very important. Yeah. Not my day for bein innovative I think the outreach should focus on other organizations. These are 3 very important areas if the organization is going to remain strong Greater "internationalization" is very much tied area b IASSIST needs to better understand itself and thus, provide a clearer sense of mission for its members. The good-will

of finding ones flock is really wonderful, but in tough economic times, it's simply not enough to sustain a growing organization. If IASSIST doesn't grow, it risks turning into a kind of fraternity .. complete with special insider rituals and jokes. It's really fun for those of us on the inside, but it also needs to be more articulate for those not on the inside but still related to the central issues of the social science data life cycle.

I am concerned about the probability of declining membership and especially conference attendance in the coming years. As an organization, we need to work on innovative (for us anyway) mechanisms to enhance our community that won't take very much from our member's slashed operating budgets. Maybe it is time to have conferences every other year? .. or every 3 years? and have synchronous electronic meetings at other times. These meetings would benefit from having a 3rd party organization coordinate the efforts.. but be significantly cheaper to attend - and possibly be very specifically focused on some aspect.. targeted to a specific audience. While I really dislike attending "meetings" in this fashion, I will do it when the alternatives are nothing at all.

QMembership1d_A_1: The most valuable part of my membership in IASSIST is: (“Other” responses)

the conference itself Iassist Quarterly :-) IASSIST web site knowing fabulous and helpful iassist members acitve and *diverse* data community

QMembership2: If I could change one thing about my membership in IASSIST, it would be:

I wish I could find ways of convincing others that membership in IASSIST was so affordable compared to other organizations and you get way more support and connection than in other organizations. So, if I could change anything it would be to find a way to share the good news more effectively.

I w More focus on actual data content rather than just DDI and running national archives Become more involved - more opportunities to become involved. Drop the journal; it's so late in coming that it's useless. Cooperate more in US advocacy efforts. more regional activities This is just a thought. Travel money is so tight that I wasn't able to attend last year's conference and won't be able to

attend this year's conference. Might regional meetings, even virtual ones, be a possibility? Not as a replacement for the annual but to supplement it.

That I got renewal notices, preferrably in paper format - all my other organizations, even small ones can do this. I have not received any renewal info this year and have not yet renewed. This lack of communication is very poor and I am sure we lose a number of members every year because of this

automatically renewing so I didn't have to remember to do it each year i'd have more time to be more involved with it. Having more opportunities to network and mentor new members. Be more involved participating in conference papers too few people do too much of the work of sustaining IASSIST. Web based IQ with a DLib sort of interface; put the listserv questions on the blog (either public or with a log on); use

more social networking tools to connect members. More exclusive member services online! How little regard my home institution pays to the benefits IASSIST brings me. More opportunities to participate without attending the conference.

Qcomtopic1a: Please enter any comments you may have on this topic (“I know what this committee does and how I could participate”):

I have tried to make suggestions to and join committees in the past, but have always been made to feel very unwelcome. I have spoken to other IASSIST members who have had similar experiences

I have the advantage of being of former officer A while ago I was exploring the idea of joining a committee and had emailed the chairs (of several of the above) to ask

more about if they were interested in new members and what their current projects were. Unfortunately, not all chairs responded to my query. And for those that did, not all could tell me the current projects the group was working on and how I could contribute; I got more of the sense that they wanted ideas to come from me (which is maybe not totally unreasonable, but was a disincentive to join as a newcomer).

Although it's not difficult to get involved, it is more difficult to coordinate the work across more people. Being "involved" ranges from doing everything to passively receiving messages from the committee mailing list.

The web or a wiki could be used to better communicate the committee activities While I understand these things now.. I really didn't when I was new. The process was quite opaque to me. Also, I

haven't spent much time on the iassist website... and I should. I am very hopeful that this is where a lot of useful internal information is.

Qcomtopic2a: Please enter any comments you may have on this topic (“This committee is important to the functioning of the organization”):

Not sure it's understood by many that publications committee maintains the web site. The Outreach committee could be more important if it's mandate were clear. For the n/a, I feel like I'm not aware enough as to their specific role as to comment on its importance. Don't know

what the constitutional review committee does, and am not sure why nominations and elections merits its own committee (as opposed to being part of AC functions).

Responses based on very limited knowledge of committees. I think the committee mandates overlap way too much. I wish I had a great idea regarding how to make them less

obscure - but it seems to me that we've managed a kind of weakness where there could be strength in the overlaps. It's confusing (for lack of a better word) how all of them overlap and yet could benefit from coordination. We're not being particularly smart in the use of new tools for coordination. Again, I don't have good answers.. I suspect that at least part of the problem is trying to run this whole organization on the backs of otherwise fully employed (elsewhere) individuals. When the organization must depend on the left-over energy and time of its membership, it can not be too demanding. I think this is the crux of the problem.

It may be necessary to modify these .. or add one specific to online community development - a subset of publications?

Qcomtopic3a: Please enter any comments you may have on this topic (“This committee does a good job of setting goals and undertaking activities consistent with its charge”):

I think it is really important to remember that people who participate in these committees do so voluntarily. However, committee members may or may not get recognition or support for this from their employers. We should have some way of alerting employers about the nature of the work and its value to the data archive community - perhaps some sort of letter - it could be available upon request for promotions and personnel reviews.

It feels like the committee structure is modeled after kids on a playground dividing up into teams. They go off and play their own games for a while and then get back together again at the end - with little more than a reporting of the scores to show for it. Publications at least has a tangible result - but the lack of participation there is testament to the problem of the broader membership not feeling like it is a participant (rather than a passive onlooker.)

I'm mostly going on basic assumptions here..

Qcomtopic4a: Please enter any comments you may have on this topic (“This committee is productive and does a good job of meeting its goals”):

I am of the view that these groups meet their goals - however I am less aware of the goals and strategies for achieving those goals than I should be. Members should be more encouraged to review the goals in advance of key meetings and initiatives.

I don't have an insider view of the administrative end of IASSIST, but the organization is strong and I believe that is a testament to the good work that goes on there. I feel like there is a lack of activity in Education and Outreach, but that is my perception.

Administrative Committee is definetely more active than before. Not sure what the "N/A" response means here - a "don't know" would have been useful. I don't know what some of the goals are so it's difficult to comment. On those that I know, I think that expectations of

productivity vary dramatically. Where expectations are relatively low, the productivity goals are met. For instance, Outreach expects to bring people from underrepresented ares to conference. It does so. Could it do more? Sure, if we can manage a clearer identity for what it is that IASSIST actually wants to be. More data professionals from more places? Then what?

QCommunication2: The ideal communication strategy for IASSIST would be:

The listserv is KEY!!! It is my only way to connect with the 'family' and is the only one I read faithfully. I would use the blog more if it were easier to figure out my login and password - I have lots to share that would be good on the blog, but again, access to it is tricky. More publicity about how to login and find your password - and/or to reset it would be helpful.

The membership directory is a very important communication tool. I often try to target my questions and communication to specific individuals or those I suspect have specialized knowledge rather than send out a general alarm to the entire membership.

It would be great if the membership could use a wiki on the website to communicate with others who have similar interests.

Encourage individuals to participate in committees by joining listserv discussion groups that are established for the work of each committee.

Listserv is best, but an education wiki for folks to help add training tools or other opportunities may not be bad. I also think that having a liaison to organizations such as ALA would be wise (ACRL sections have this with relevant professional organizations - e.g ANSS with AAA and ASA)

I think the listserv works well and it's the one way in which I can occasionally help others. Listserv is great: easy to use (no need to remember passwords or www addresses); you always get an answer quickly structered ordering of topics on the iassist website, even including courses and trainings modules Listserv for practical data-related questions and issues, organizational announcements and communication, and quick

communications. Conference for more substantive communication and interaction on subjects of interest to the membership and opportunities for face to face interaction. IQ for a printed record of our activities, research, and conference output (though this seems to be getting harder to sustain due to few submissions). Blog for immediate distribution and discussion of info of interest, more substantive than listserv. The website for more static long-term information, tools, etc.

listserv I'm not someone who will spend time on blogs or other on-line back and forth that I have to go to (listserve comes to

me). I know it works for some people but I've personally rarely found them worth my time and effort Since new members have a hard time getting their head around how IASSIST works, I think it would be useful for

there to be an admin docs area on the web site where AC and the committees could deposit their documents, agendas etc.

"1)Getting the IQ indexed in article databases. I have heard discussions of concern that it's had some struggles and low contribution rates. I speculate is that part of this is that it's really a hidden publication, only read by its members and of which few other people are aware. In addition to the recent change of editorial review, I think it would go a long way to increasing its prominence by making it findable by a wider audience (thus also contributing to our broader outreach mission). If it's widely indexed, that's also a selling point to contributors.

2) My only item under D I'm thinking of relates to an earlier comment, that maybe there could be forums for discussions/engagement among smaller groups (e.g. mentoring, discussion groups on certain topics). However, I'm reluctant to recommend a different communication mechanism that provides comparable info. to the list serve but simply in a different format. E.g. the blog. I know there are some aspects of a blog that are different than a list serve. However, in our busy days, it's impossible to scan all places of current awareness, especially if they might be duplicative; so in reality I never check the blog because I always hope that if it's a significant item, it will come through on the list, and I really don't have time to monitor both (however much I'd like to)."

To focus on the listserv. Too many different communication venues just dilute efforts and make it harder to stay connected.

I DO hope you get some good answers here. :) I, sadly, would otherwise leave this blank. I don't find myself visiting the IASSSIST web site very often. I would like more interactive (than the web site) and less

high-profile (than the listserv) of interacting with members, or smaller groups of members of IASSIST. There are so many ways that we could be sharing knowledge that we are not yet taking advantage of.

IQ online journal, not PDF. Considering that most members are professional with full-time jobs, it would likely be difficult to go beyond the status

quo. In an electronic age, if anyone has extra time or needs extra information, he/she can reach out easily to all the members online, establish an "interest group" discussion or whatever they feel motivated to attempt. I notice that you have not referred to the blog in earlier questions. The level of activity there is likely a sign of the general "over-stretched" state of most people's lives. I know that I think of going there to read, add comments, etc. but then I get interrupted and busy... and it doesn't happen.

I'm sorry - I really wish I knew. The listserv is great for member-to-member communication, but I feel a lack of official communication about what's

going on, ways to get involved, etc.

QStructure2: I think that the organization should:

Increase the number of people involved in various activities so that it can remain an volunteer organization - we don't have the funds to hire someone permanently and I don't want to pay more in dues to support that. Have a prize for the hardest worker, write letters of acknowledgment and thanks to employers - there needs to be some way to make participation in the organization special and rewarded.

A lot of IASSIST organization activity takes place just before and just after the annual conference. Given the fact that we all have employers who expect us to work for them and the all-volunteer nature of the organization, this situation is inevitable.

Continue the current organizational structure of volunteers. People will volunteer if given the opportunity. It may not be bureaucratic, but there's a self-serving and self-selecting in-crowd, who do not welcome 'outsiders'. The

old guard (who were at least friendly) have recently been superceded by a gaggle of ambitious American women, who seem largely interested in themselves. I've tried many times to become more involved, but always met with rejection in some form. I am disillusioned, and probably won't try again.

definitely get some part time, focused help. IASSIST is only going to keep growing. A paid secretariat would undoubtedly help the organization function better. E.g., the directory seems always to be

way behind. "I'm part of this. So my answers are not that interesting. I have asked ""are there life between Iassist conferences""? Not in our presidents I think ;-) I think the survey producers should have learned from previous IASSIST questionnaires. And I cannot easily forget that

you have left out the Iassist Quarterly as well as other communications channels in your questionnaire. Karsten Boye Rasmussen kbr@sam.sdu.dk editor of the IQ " it isn't very bureaucratic, but it isn't easy to participate be more diversified. "I thnk we need some administrative support - it is hard to find the volunteer time that lines up with each other. Stongly review the financial aspects of hiring staff including tax issues/costs and flexibility of hours. Permanent staff

means permanent funding via membership fees. WRT to D and within the present financial framework, I think that IASSIST should use its resources for very specific

projects such as building operational infrastructure. A good example in the membership database. The treasurer may need some tools as well as this is a very demanding job.

Give itself a pat on the back for being able to do so much with volunteers alone. clarify its identity - as distinct from any other organiation. If there's serious overlap with other organizations (IFDO??)

then perhaps a merger should be considered. Shared resources in terms of administrative overhead could be a very good thing. . as long as the underlying personality of IASSIST is not lost.

hire help when needed "The ""all volunteer Structure"" question above needs ""DK"" option -- most of us do not have an ""existential basis""

for making a judgement! How to the volunteers feel? If work is going ""undone"", more should be said about it. By appearances, most members would assume that what needs to be done gets done, and adding more personnel would lead to doing the unnecessary. If a case needs to be made for more assistance, I have not heard about it.

Also, Question B is not well structured: ""getting involved"" is pretty much the same across anything to which we belong. ""Knowing how"" is probably not an issue. The bigger issue is inspiring IASSIST involvement to be seen as more significant, rewarding, etc. that other aspects of life. This involves a big investment is getting to know, and becoming friends with new members. There is a tendency to see the organization as having a core of people who have known each other for so long that it is difficult to enter into that circle and feel comfortable."

Figure out if it's desired direction in near-future is to expand or deepen. seriously consider strategies for surviving the current severe budget cuts. Can/should we merge with IFDO? (or

create a competitive logically parallel to IFDO organization) .. and modify the membership to include organizations? .. is there a model for this kind of organization? Emphasize the benefits of membership in a way that highlights individual time and/or budgetary benefits. Make the benefits of membership more obvious.

Communicate more!

QOccupationSpecified_11: Which of the following roles best describes your occupation? (“Other” responses)

demographer spokesperson Senior University Planning Officer Research Support Services Academic Technologist

Qstrengthweakness: Other thoughts on the current strengths and weaknesses of IASSIST?

I have been a member of IASSIST for many years and have served in many committees and offices. I would not have the career I have had if it weren't for IASSIST. It is a unique organization in the way the members share ideas, tools, tips, data and goals. At conferences I feel like I am among the only people who really understand what I do professionally.

My impression (incorrect as it may be) is that a significant percentage of the membership rotates out to other jobs, other responsibilities. Not sure the organization is doing as much as it could to recruit people new to the social science data ranks. This might be a problem as the first-generation IASSISTers retire.

The website needs more attention - maybe some web 2.0 type stuff. The survey is good tool for getting anonymous feedback from IASSIST members. The membership rate is wonderful given how expensive other professional associations are. The conference is also a

great strength. The weakness is that we can be doing far more with education and we aren't - the workshops are great but adding more to the Web - wikis, podcasts, etc. would be something to look into.

Is IASSIST picking up members among the new staff who are replacing the retiring baby boomers? How does recruitment take place? I gather that the conferences are successful although I don't attend because I'm not in the mainstream of what they're about (I'm an applied demographer). Money for travel is constantly tightening for everyone.

For an organization run by volunteers, it is remarkably robust. Probably largely due to the enthusiasm and giving spirit of the members who have official "jobs" and the members that contribute so much to the conferences and the listserv exchanges. Being a somewhat small organization may actually be one of its strengths, as it allows people to get to know each other and get involved in IASSIST business in whatever way suits them.

I am a new member -- less than a year. I think the last IASSIST Conference met my needs as a new member very well. However, I do not feel well informed enough about the profession as a a whole, or have enough of a history with IASSIST to answer most of the questions in this survey.

"membership renewal process I thin doing it all online is problematic, it used to be impossible to get an accurate list of how many members IASSIST had. Membership and the renewal process has always seemed complicated - especially if you do not renew with your conference registration. I think this needs looking into. Also most organizations work on a calendar year, I know there were good arguments for the change

but I think it confuses people." It's strength is in the support of our members by maintaining a community that both understands and values the work

that they do, often behind the sceens and unappreciated by people in their own organizations. The fact that IASSIST shows the concern for the organiztion through constant evaluation of activities, processes and potential areas of growth help insure that IASSIST will continue to thrive.

It is full of very creative individuals. It is a wonderful organization that brings us data folk togethter. I now know lots of people whom I can ask questions

about data. You didn't ask anywhere much information about the conference. I know this is not meant to be a conference

evaluation, but it makes me think about how the conference is run by yearly-constructed task force, as opposed to standing committee. I think this works fine, but it makes me wonder if the work of the conference planning committees should be somehow more incorporated into the administrative structure of the organization. Should that have been evaluated in this survey. Should it be involved in AC discussions (as I think other chairs are) or other related items related to governing the organization. As I went through the survey I realized how central it is to the activities but how removed it is from much of the rest of the organization (e.g. I think the conference is the biggest contributor to education, but it's not related to the education committee). I've not experienced that as a problem per se (having been on the program committee), but it strikes me as maybe worth re-examining how the relationships among the committees work.

Strength: the timing and locations of the annual conference have been very good.

Our strength may be our weakness. The intense dedication of a minority of our members has lead to a kind of (friendly) cult of personality. It's welcoming and not so bureaucratic/sterile.. but it may also be unsustainable in this economy. It's also not very efficient.

Because IASSIST depends solely on volunteers, the organization will only be as strong as its current leadership and the willingness of volunteers to contribute to the organization.

The conferences are very strong, but some presentations should be shorter with discussions. The conference presentations should be more peer reviewed but written papers need not be required.

The membership is the greatest strength, in particular the willingness to share information and be supportive. "My previous comments are directed at indicating this. It just occurred to me that the existence of the DLI in Canada which runs regional training yearly is an enormous boon

to building and cultivating ties to rookie (rooky?) data professionals, and passing on inspiration. Perhaps IASSIST could inspire some other regionally based meetings -- day workshops, etc. which bring together people who otherwise might not have the opportunity for face-to-face contact. This is how the connections are made that can be built into effective advocacy. Mentoring is important, and this is not mentioned in this survey. Engage with the new cohorts! "

I would like to see IASSIST focus more on education for data content (for example, Bobray Bordelon's workshop on financial data in Montreal, 2007). Recently, it seems that IASSIST's programs has moved away from data reference and collection development, and appealed more to the data archivist rather than the data librarian working within a traditional library setting.

Perhaps we need to show a bit more of professionalism in our actions because as a group IASSIST is very strong and perhaps could take still a bit bigger role in data preservation discussions and lobbying... Great bunch of people with a solid belief in our objectives makes a good base to build.

Qchange: If I could only institute one change to the way IASSIST works now, it would be:

I would love it if the conferences could be set up so that if one could not attend, the sessions would be viewable and/or broadcast over the internet. It is really possible to do this and to allow audience participation for this. I'd be willing to pay a full conference registration fee even if I could only "attend" in this way. Given how expensive it is to travel I think even people who would like to present papers would be willing to present if they could do it without physically being at the conference site. We should really explore this for holding meetings of the committees and interest groups and for possibly holding mid-year business or AC meetings. The technology is there and it is not expensive - let's use it!

Hiring a part-time staffer to keep the organization on-task is a good idea. In the final analysis, however, I suspect that would do little to address the inertia that exists between annual conferences.

Announce the availability of listserv discussion groups for each committee and allow individuals to join the committees by joining the appropriate listserv discussion groups.

Earlier notice on content of conferences. Better outreach to other professional associations - especially library associations. Do a better job of joining advocacy efforts in US statistics. I know it's an international org. but at least half the

members are US and you guys need to be informed. Another idea would be to work out some kind of deal with APDU for joint membership.

add more European, Asian, African commitment more inclusive, less cliquey "Compliment the all volunteer nature with some fixed resources "Contact members about renewing their subscription, preferably send out paper notices. I have received nothing online for 2 years and keep forgetting to renew" no suggestions I think that 2 years can be a bit short for the pres and vice pres. You start at one meeting, prepare for the next and

then you are finished. It can be difficult to get things going in such a short time. On the other hand I guess the tenure was shortening so that there would be more turnover and more than 2 years may be too big a commitment. So, not sure where I stand on this. I think it should be reviewed.

Have it engage more with related data organizations to increase its prominence and relevance worldwide. Do away with IASSIST Quarterly. The target audience is too small, and it would be better to publish what's there in

venues that reach non-IASSIST members. Unload administrivia to some professional organization so memberships, fees, banking issues.. are all handled by

people who do this all the time. More dynamic website. "for the conference program committee to shape the programs in a more direct manner, rather than have the

submissions shape the conference. It appears that most submissions are accepted and sessions are created to accommodate all of them. However, I believe that this approach reduces the overall quality of the conference and results in an uneven balance of key themes (such as data reference/content, teaching, DDI, special projects, etc.).

Perhaps themes should become more prevalent in the conferences, with conference tracts or at least more lunchtime sessions (and more tables) devoted to these interests."

Elect myself and let's see what happens..? to lighten the burden on the small number of people who manage the fundamental business-related processes of

IASSIST. Better communication!