Guest Piece & Survey: Importance of Quaker journals, letters, and blogs

A few days ago, I received an email from a Friend that included a request for me to fill out an online survey--a short survey that had been developed by a Quaker who is doing research to complete a course in an Archives Seminar at the University of Maryland. Maybe some of you readers and fellow bloggers received a similar email.

This new survey* focuses on the impact of Quaker journals and blogs on our spiritual lives.

[*NOTE: After posting this information originally, the survey's creator Mary Crauderueff asked me to have the link to the survey only within the text of her own email, below. That's because of the consent that's sought with more formal research and how online surveys work, apparently. As a result, I've removed the links to the survey in this preface. Feel free to skip ahead...]

The survey raised a few questions for me and I contacted the survey's creator, Mary Crauderueff. After a brief back-and-forth, she agreed to have me post her original email here, along with a few other comments about the project and survey.

Anyone who has not yet taken the survey may do so before April 6, 2009.

You don't have to have a blog, and you don't have to be Quaker. But if you read Quaker blogs, please consider taking it.

To be clear: this is a different survey with a very different purpose from the one that I had posted a few weeks ago. (My own post and survey is here.)

Mary writes: "If anyone has questions, comments, or want to talk with me more about the subject [of Quaker journals, letters, and blogs], they should feel free to do so."

She can be reached at [mcrauder AT umd DOT edu].

Blessings,
Liz

Excerpt from Mary Crauderueff's email to me in response to my questions

The survey was very tailored to my Archives Seminar project, which is about the way Quaker journals have been used over time as spiritual nurture, and how blogs are a continuation of this, and therefore should be preserved. This is going along with a trend in the greater archival world to save electronic, and especially internet-based, materials.

The deadline is April 6th, however I have a limit of surveys I can collect, and so I would encourage readers to participate sooner rather than later.

Text from Mary's original email

From: Mary Crauderueff
Sent: Monday, March 16, 2009 11:03 PM
Subject: Quaker Blog Survey! - Please forward.

Dear Friends,

Please excuse any cross-listings.

I am conducting research for the final paper I am writing in my Archives Seminar class this semester at the iSchool at the University of Maryland, College Park. The paper is about the importance of Quaker journals, letters, and blogs to the spiritual guidance and nurture of Quakers both historically and today.

I am hoping to get input from Quakers of all ages regarding their interest and involvement of Quaker journals and blogs during the course of their spiritual journey with Quakerism. I have complied a set of questions that I am hoping you will be able to fill out for me. [Keep reading to make your way to the link. --Liz]

I will do my best to keep your personal information confidential. If I write a report or article about this research project, your identity will be protected to the maximum extent possible. I will be keeping the results in a password-protected account, and if they are loaded onto a computer, the computer account will also be password protected. Any identifying information collected will be kept separately from the responses.

There are no known risks associated with participating in this research project. This research is not designed to help you personally.

Your participation in this research is completely voluntary. You may choose not to take part at all. If you decide to participate in this research, you may stop participating at any time. If you decide not to participate in this study or if you stop participating at any time, you will not be penalized or lose any benefits to which you otherwise qualify.

This research is being conducted by Mary Crauderueff, College of Information Studies (Maryland's i-School) at the University of Maryland, College Park. If you have any questions about the research study itself, please contact Jean Dryden at:

4121J Hornbake Bldg, South Wing
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
301-405-3777

If you have questions about your rights as a research subject or wish to report a research-related injury, please contact:

Institutional Review Board Office
University of Maryland
College Park, Maryland 20742
(e-mail) irb AT deans DOT umd DOT edu
(telephone) 301-405-0678

This research has been reviewed according to the University of Maryland, College Park IRB procedures for research involving human subjects.

By clicking on the link to the survey on SurveyMonkey.com [see below], you indicate that: you are at least 18 years of age; the research has been explained to you; your questions have been fully answered; and you freely and voluntarily choose to participate in this research project.

[And here it is...]

Please respond via this survey by Monday, April 6th. [Click here to go the survey! Or copy and paste the URL into your browser]:

http://tinyurl.com/d45lyu
(http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=UyCjz8ars9a5g77hght6jA_3d_3d)

Also, please forward this to all the Quakers you know - I would like to get as much participation as I can!

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thanks in advance!

in Light,

Mary Crauderueff
mcrauder AT umd DOT edu
Special Collections Graduate Assistant
Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library
University of Maryland College Park