My name is Jana Michalkova and I am a PhD student in the Department of Geography and Applied Geoinformatics at the University of Prešov in Slovakia. I am working on my dissertation which deals with Open Source philosophy and institutional concept of Quadruple Helix (in terms of interaction of four actors - academia, private sector, public sector and civil society).  

The main objective of my research is to explore the dynamic and interactive relationships that may arise among actors of Quadruple Helix while respecting the principles of Open Source philosophy. As a case study I have decided to research the functioning of QGIS user groups worldwide, which I consider examples of good practice that might be able to further define and set conditions for my proposed conceptual framework of the Quadruple Helix based on Open Source.

For this reason I would like kindly to ask you to take part at this survey. I think your experiences, knowledge and practice could be a significant and valuable asset for my study.

The first part of survey is dedicated to basic information about you and your user group. The core of research is divided into three main sections (A. Motivation and participation; B. Community; C. Openness and sharing) which reflect basic principles of Open Source philosophy.  And the last part of research relates to philosophy of Open Source in general from your point of view. It should take no more than 15 minutes to fill out this survey and all data will be used solely for the purposes of thesis processing.

Thank you very much in advance for your time and willingness to participate in this research.