Participants needed for a study on organizational memory practices
Last modified: Apr 17, 2025, 4:46 p.m.
From: Computer Science
Echolab at Virginia Tech is seeking participants for an interview study on how university research labs manage their organizational memory—i.e., the collection of shared knowledge, practices, and resources that help members work more efficiently and effectively over time. Researchers are especially interested in speaking with individuals who have experience with or insight into how lab knowledge is created, maintained, and/or passed on. Or if you have your unique practice that are not necessarily documented materials (e.g., pairing a new Ph.D. student with senior Ph.D. students, each Ph.D. student having a dedicated role). To be eligible for this study, participants must:
- Currently direct, or have previously directed, a university research lab with more than 4 Ph.D. students, and
- Be engaged in or interested in maintaining organizational memory within the lab. This includes practices such as:
- Developing and documenting lab policies, onboarding guidelines, or research tips
- Pairing new Ph.D. students with senior students for mentoring
- Assigning dedicated roles or responsibilities to lab members (e.g., literature curator, writing coach, lab wiki maintainer)
The interview will be conducted via Zoom or in-person if possible and will last approximately 45 minutes, up to 1 hour maximum. You will be compensated with a $40 Amazon gift card or wire transfer (Zelle, Venmo, PayPal) for your time.
If you are interested, please complete this short survey (approx. 5 minutes): https://forms.gle/k1P1CexdsojaSxD96
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Sangwook Lee (sangwooklee@vt.edu)
This study has been approved by the VT Institutional Review Board (IRB 25-247).