User:Encyclopaedia21/Survey

Below is just an overview of the survey questionnaire. To download the actual questionnaire, you can got to my webpage. Or you could email me at encyclopaedia@educ.gla.ac.uk for a copy.

Letter

Dear Madam, Dear Sir,

I am currently a PhD student from the University of Glasgow, UK. I am doing a research project entitled: “Producing encyclopaedias for the 21st century: Covering scientific uncertainties and controversies in global warming and climate change”.

I am writing to invite you to take part in this project which aims to investigate how authors from various online and printed encyclopaedias view their work, with a particular focus on their views on and experience with the coverage of scientific uncertainties and controversies. Participation in this project is totally voluntary. You may decline to participate, or withdraw from the study at any time without providing a reason.

As an author of encyclopaedia article(s) pertaining to global warming and climate change, you are invited to share your experience by returning the questionnaire below by 15 June 2009. When appropriate, a 30 minutes follow-up phone interview may also occur in a few months. You will be asked at the end of this email survey to specify whether you agree to participate in the follow-up phone interview or not. Participation in this project is totally voluntary. You may decline to participate, or withdraw from the project at any time without providing a reason.

All data collected will be kept confidential. The results will be reported in a manner which does not enable you to be identified in the thesis and research papers to be published from this study, thus ensuring your anonymity. But let me know at the end of the questionnaire if you want be acknowledged by name.

Thank you very much for your consideration.

Best,

Vanessa Rasoamampianina

Email: [deleted]

Other contact information:

Supervisors: Prof. Alison Phipps email: [deleted]

Dr. Rebecca Mancy email: [deleted]

Ethics Officer: Dr. Georgina Wardle email: [deleted]

SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE

We would like you to reflect on your past experience of writing encyclopaedia articles on global warming and climate change. Please provide as much detail as possible.

Your name:
Your institution:

For which encyclopaedia(s) have you written articles on global warming and climate change (Tick as many as apply)

The Climate Change Collection from the Encyclopaedia of Earth
Wikipedia
The Encyclopaedia of Global Warming and Climate Change (SAGE Publications)
Britannica Online
The Oxford Companion to Global Change (Oxford University Press)
MSN Encarta
The International Encyclopaedia of Global Warming and Climate Change (Anmol Publishing)
Other(s) (Specify):

Please choose ONE of YOUR articles on global warming and climate change to reflect on (Provide title and full reference)

How would you describe yourself in relation to the topic of this article (Tick as many as apply)

I am interested/passionate about this topic
I have worked on this
I am an expert on this

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ON WRITING THE ENCYCLOPAEDIA ARTICLE

1. How would you evaluate the nature of knowledge in the topic of the article mentioned above? (Tick as many as apply)

It can be considered as simple and discrete facts
It can be considered as complex and interrelated concepts
It can be considered as stable knowledge
It can be considered as evolving knowledge
It can be considered as absolute knowledge
It can be considered as tentative knowledge
There is one version of knowledge
There are various versions of knowledge
Other(s) – Specify:

2. How do you think that knowledge needs to be presented in the encyclopaedia article? (Tick as many as apply)

It needs to be presented as simple and discrete facts
It needs to be presented as complex and interrelated concepts
It needs to be presented as stable knowledge
It needs to be presented as evolving knowledge
It needs to be presented as absolute knowledge
It needs to be presented as tentative knowledge
Only one version of knowledge needs to be presented
Various versions of knowledge need to be presented
Other(s) – Specify:

3. Why do you think knowledge in encyclopaedia article should be presented in that way?

4. What were you trying to achieve through your article and what effect do you hope it will have on readers?

ON WRITING ABOUT SCIENTIFIC UNCERTAINTIES/CONTROVERSIES

Note: Scientific uncertainty refers to information where scientists have expressed uncertainty about a concept/ finding/event. Scientific controversy refers to information where various scientists have different understanding or interpretations of the same concept, finding, or event. Scientific controversy also refers to cases where scientists have reported different findings.

5. Please give examples of scientific uncertainties/controversies* pertaining to the topic of the article above and explain why these are scientific uncertainties/controversies*.

6. Which, if any, of these scientific uncertainties/controversies* did you cover in the article above, and why?

7. Which challenges did these scientific uncertainties/controversies* impose when you were writing the article?

8. Which strategies did you adopt to address these challenges? For instance, how did you write about scientific uncertainties/controversies*?

9. Is the experience described above typical of how you usually approach scientific uncertainties/controversies*?

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Follow-up

Your contribution will be kept anonymous in the thesis and subsequent papers

Please specify here if you wish to be represented otherwise

Would you be willing to participate in future phone-interview if additional information is needed?

No
Yes - Please provide details for further contact Email:

Phone number or Skype ID: