open-source-survey/survey-instrument.md

Hello! We're studying how people use and think about open source software. Whether you're a long-time maintainer, a new contributor, or an interested browser, we want to hear from you. This survey will take 15 minutes or less, and will be used to create an open data set that is freely available to researchers and members of the community to better understand the people who use and create open source technologies.

We're inviting you to take part based on having visited an open source project on GitHub or indicating interest in an open source project hosted elsewhere. This survey is open to anyone who uses, contributes to, or thinks about open source software.

All questions are optional. The data collected here is anonymous and will not be linked to any other data sources. We aim not to collect any personally identifying information, and will remove any that is provided before publicly releasing the data. This survey uses cookies, but only to prevent duplicate responses. To take the survey in Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, or Russian, click the bar titled "Select another language" at the top of this page and choose your preferred language.

For the purposes of this survey, open source software is software available in source code form under terms that allow anyone to use, modify, and/or distribute the software for any purpose, subject, at most, to conditions that preserve provenance and openness. We acknowledge there are distinct ideologies behind Free/Libre and Open Source Software; we use the general term "open source" here for simplicity rather than as indication of support for one community over another.

Contributor Identity

Q1 PARTICIPATION-TYPE (multiple selection)

People participate in open source in different ways. Which of the following activities do you engage in? Choose all that apply.

• (1) Follow updates and discussions of open source projects
• (2) Use open source applications
• (3) Use open source dependencies in other projects
• (4) Participate in open source development (including making feature requests, filing bugs, contribution of docs or code, project maintenance, etc.)
• (5) Other (please describe)

Q2 CONTRIBUTOR-TYPE (grid) if PARTICIPATION-TYPE(4) == 1, then:

How often do you engage in each of the following activities?

	Never	Rarely	Occasionally	Frequently
(1) Contribute code
(2) Contribute documentation
(3) Maintain project (e.g. review and merge contributions, manage releases)
(4) Report or document bugs and unexpected behaviors
(5) Offer ideas for new features
(6) Perform organizational/administrative functions (e.g. manage mailing lists, organize events)

Q3 EMPLOYMENT-STATUS (single choice)

Which best describes your employment (paid work) status?

• (1) Employed full time
• (2) Employed part time
• (3) Full time student
• (4) Temporarily not working
• (5) Retired or Permanently not working (e.g. due to disability, etc.)
• (6) Other (please describe)

Q4 PROFESSIONAL-SOFTWARE (single choice) if EMPLOYMENT-STATUS < 3, then:

In your main job, how often do you write or otherwise directly contribute to producing software?

• (1) Frequently
• (2) Occasionally
• (3) Rarely
• (4) Never

Q5 FUTURE-CONTRIBUTION-INTEREST (single choice)

How interested are you in contributing to open source projects in the future?

• (1) Very interested
• (2) Somewhat interested
• (3) Not too interested
• (4) Not interested at all

Q6 FUTURE-CONTRIBUTION-LIKELIHOOD (single choice)

How likely are you to contribute to open source projects in the future?

• (1) Very likely
• (2) Somewhat likely
• (3) Somewhat unlikely
• (4) Very unlikely

Determinants of Consumption/Contribution

The following questions ask about the things that are important to you when choosing to use or contribute to software projects.

Q7 OSS-USER-PRIORITIES (grid)

If PARTICIPATION-TYPE(2) == 1 or PARTICIPATION-TYPE(3)==1 or PARTICIPATION-TYPE(4)==1, then:

When thinking about whether to use open source software, how important are the following things?

	Very important to have	Somewhat important to have	Not important either way	Somewhat important not to have	Very important not to have	Don't know what this is
(1) An open source license
(2) A code of conduct
(3) A contributing guide
(4) A contributor's license agreement (CLA)
(5) Active development
(6) Responsive maintainers
(7) A welcoming community
(8) Widespread use
(9) Security by design

Q8 OSS-CONTRIBUTOR-PRIORITIES (grid)

if PARTICIPATION-TYPE(4) ==1, then:

When thinking about whether to contribute to an open source project, how important are the following things?

	Very important to have	Somewhat important to have	Not important either way	Somewhat important not to have	Very important not to have	Don't know what this is
(1) An open source license
(2) A code of conduct
(3) A contributing guide
(4) A contributor's license agreement (CLA)
(5) Active development
(6) Responsive maintainers
(7) A welcoming community
(8) Widespread use
(9) Security by design

Q9 SEEK-OPEN-SOURCE (single choice)

How often do you try to find open source options over other kinds of software?

• (1) Always
• (2) Sometimes
• (3) Rarely
• (4) Never

Q10 OSS-UX (single choice)

Do you believe that open source software is generally easier to use than closed source (proprietary) software, harder to use, or about the same?

• (1) Generally easier to use
• (2) Generally harder to use
• (3) About the same

Q11 OSS-SECURITY (single choice)

Do you believe that open source software is generally more secure than closed source (proprietary) software, less secure, or about the same?

• (1) Generally more secure
• (2) Generally less secure
• (3) About the same

Q12 OSS-STABILITY (single choice)

Do you believe that open source software is generally more stable than closed source (proprietary), less stable, or about the same?

• (1) Generally more stable
• (2) Generally less stable
• (3) About the same

Q13 INTERNAL-EFFICACY (single choice)

I have the skills and understanding necessary to make meaningful contributions to open source projects.

• (1) Strongly agree
• (2) Somewhat agree
• (3) Neither agree nor disagree
• (4) Somewhat disagree
• (5) Strongly disagree

Q14 EXTERNAL-EFFICACY (single choice)

The open source community values contributions from people like me.

• (1) Strongly agree
• (2) Somewhat agree
• (3) Neither agree nor disagree
• (4) Somewhat disagree
• (5) Strongly disagree

Q15 OSS-IDENTIFICATION (single choice)

I consider myself to be a member of the open source (and/or the Free/Libre software) community.

• (1) Strongly agree
• (2) Somewhat agree
• (3) Neither agree nor disagree
• (4) Somewhat disagree
• (5) Strongly disagree

Q16 USER-VALUES (grid)

row order randomized

When using any kind of software, how important are the following things to you?

	Extremely important	Very important	Moderately important	Slightly important	Not at all important
Stability
Innovation
Replicability
Compatibility
Security
Cost
Transparency
User experience
Customizability/Modifiability
Availability of technical support
Trusted producer

Transparency vs Privacy

The following questions ask about practices and attitudes about privacy and transparency, both within open source and online in general.

Q17 TRANSPARENCY-PRIVACY-BELIEFS (single choice)

Which of the following statements is closest to your beliefs about attribution in software development?

randomize order

• (1) Records of authorship should be required so that end users know who created the source code they are working with. or
• (2) People should be able to contribute code without attribution, if they wish to remain anonymous.

Q18 INFO-AVAILABILITY (single choice)

In general, how much information about you is publicly available online?

• (1) A lot of information about me
• (2) Some information about me
• (3) A small amount of information about me
• (4) No information at all about me

Q19 INFO-JOB (single choice)

If EMPLOYMENT-STATUS != 5, then:

Do you feel that you need to make information available about yourself online for professional reasons?

• (1) Yes
• (2) No

Q20 TRANSPARENCY-PRIVACY-PRACTICES-GENERAL (single choice)

Which of the following best describes your practices around publishing content online, such as posts on social media (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.), blogs, and other platforms (not including contributions to open source projects)?

• (1) I include my real name.
• (2) I usually use a consistent pseudonym that is easily linked to my real name online.
• (3) I usually use a consistent pseudonym that is not linked anywhere with my real name online.
• (4) I take precautions to use different pseudonymns on different platforms.
• (5) I don't publish this kind of content online.

Q21 TRANSPARENCY-PRIVACY-PRACTICES-OSS (single choice)

if PARTICIPATION-TYPE(4)==1, then:

Which of the following best describes your practices when making open source contributions?

• (1) I include my real name.
• (2) I usually contribute using a consistent pseudonym that is easily linked to my real name online.
• (3) I usually contribute using a consistent pseudonym that is not linked anywhere with my real name online.
• (4) I take precautions to use different pesudonymns in different projects.

Mentorship / help

The following set of questions ask about how people find and seek help within the open source community.

Q22 RECEIVED-HELP (single choice)

Some people work on and use open source projects completely on their own, while others receive help from other users or contributors. Other people can help with technical problems, understanding community standards and norms, and making introductions to other people involved in the project or related ones.

Have you ever received any kind of help from other people related to using or contributing to an open source project?

randomize order

• (1) Yes
• (2) No

Q23 FIND-HELPER (single choice)

if RECEIVED-HELP == 1, then:

Thinking of the most recent case where someone helped you, how did you find someone to help you?

• (1) I asked for help in a public forum (e.g. in a GitHub issue/pull request, project mailing list, etc.) and someone responded.
• (2) I asked a specific person for help.
• (3) Someone offered me unsolicited help.
• (4) Other (please describe)

Q24 HELPER-PRIOR-RELATIONSHIP (single choice)

if RECEIVED-HELP == 1, then:

Which best describes your prior relationship with the person who helped you?

• (1) We knew each other well.
• (2) We knew each other a little.
• (3) I knew of them through their contributions to projects, but didn't know them personally.
• (4) Total strangers, I didn't know of them previously.

Q25 RECEIVED-HELP-TYPE (single choice)

if RECEIVED-HELP == 1, then:

What kind of problem did they help you with?

• (1) Writing code or otherwise implementing ideas.
• (2) Installing or using an application.
• (3) Understanding community norms (e.g. how to submit a contribution, how to communicate effectively).
• (4) Introductions to other people.
• (5) Other (please describe)

Q26 PROVIDED-HELP (single choice)

Have you ever provided help for another person on an open source project?

randomize order

• (1) Yes
• (2) No

Q27 FIND-HELPEES (single choice)

if PROVIDED-HELP == 1, then:

Thinking of the most recent case where you helped someone, how did you come to help this person?

• (1) They asked for help in a public forum (e.g. in a GitHub Issue/pull request, project mailing list, etc.) and I responded.
• (2) They asked me directly for help.
• (3) I reached out to them to offer unsolicited help.
• (4) Other (please describe)

Q28 HELPEE-PRIOR-RELATIONSHIP (single choice)

if PROVIDED-HELP == 1, then:

Which best describes your prior relationship with the person you helped?

• (1) We knew each other well.
• (2) We knew each other a little.
• (3) I knew of them through their contributions to projects, but didn't know them personally.
• (4) Total strangers, I didn't know of them previously.

Q29 PROVIDED-HELP-TYPE (single choice)

if PROVIDED-HELP == 1, then:

What kind of problem did you help them with?

• (1) Writing code or otherwise implementing ideas
• (2) Installing or using an application
• (3) Understanding community norms (e.g. how to submit a contribution, how to communicate effectively)
• (4) Introductions to other people
• (5) Other (please describe)

Harassment / Inclusiveness of OSS

The next set of questions is about negative interpersonal experiences in the context of open source projects or communities.

Q30 DISCOURAGING-BEHAVIOR (grid)

row order randomized

Have you ever observed any of the following in the context of an open source project?

   |  No | Yes |

----|----|-------------------------------------| (1) Lack of response to contributions or questions | (2) Rejection of contributions without explanation | (3) Dismissive responses to contributions or questions | (4) Documentation that is incomplete or difficult to understand | (5) Conflict or interpersonal tension between contributors | (6) Language or other content that made you feel unwelcome (e.g. profanity, racist jokes, sexual imagery, etc.) |

Q31 HARASSMENT-WITNESS (grid)

Have you ever witnessed any of the following behaviors directed at another person in the context of an open source project? (not including something directed at you)

No	Yes
(1) Hostility or rudeness
(2) Name calling
(3) Threats of violence
(4) Impersonation
(5) Harassment over a sustained period
(6) Harassment across multiple platforms
(7) Stalking
(8) Unsolicited sexual advances or comments
(9) Stereotyping based on perceived demographic characteristics
(10) Malicious publication of personal information (doxxing)
(11) Other (please describe)
(12) None of the above

Q32 HARASSMENT-EXPERIENCE (grid)

Have you ever experienced any of the following behaviors directed at you in the context of an open source project?

No	Yes
(1) Hostility or rudeness
(2) Name calling
(3) Threats of violence
(4) Impersonation
(5) Harassment over a sustained period
(6) Harassment across multiple platforms
(7) Stalking
(8) Unsolicited sexual advances or comments
(9) Stereotyping based on perceived demographic characteristics
(10) Malicious publication of personal information (doxxing)
(11) Other (please describe)
(12) None of the above

Q33 HARASSMENT-RESPONSE (multiple response)

if HARASSMENT-EXPERIENCE(12)!=1, then:

Thinking of the last time you experienced harassment, how did you respond? Choose all that apply.

If HARASSMENT-RESPONSE(9) is selected, all other options should be grayed out.

• (1) Asked the user(s) to stop the harassing behavior
• (2) Solicited support from other community members
• (3) Blocked the user(s) harassing me
• (4) Reported the incident to project maintainers
• (5) Reported the incident to the hosting service or ISP
• (6) Consulted legal counsel/ an attorney
• (7) Contacted law enforcement
• (8) Other (please describe)
• (9) I did not react / ignored the incident

Q34 RESPONSE-EFFECTIVENESS (grid)

How effective were the following responses?

Not at all effective	A little effective	Somewhat effective	Mostly effective	Completely effective
1 row per option selected in HARASSMENT-RESPONSE

Q35 HARASSMENT-CONSEQUENCES (multiple response)

if HARASSMENT-EXPERIENCE(12) != 1 or HARASSMENT-WITNESS(12) !=1, then:

As a result of experiencing or witnessing harassment, which, if any, of the following have you done?

• (1) Stopped contributing to a project
• (2) Started contributing under a pseudonym
• (3) Worked, asked questions, or collaborated in private channels more often
• (4) Changed or deleted a username
• (5) Removed or changed content on my public online presence
• (6) Suggested the creation or modification of a Code of Conduct
• (7) Engaged in public discussion with community members about the issue
• (8) Engaged in private discussion with community members about the issue
• (9) Made changes in my life offline (e.g. stopped attending meetups or conferences, etc.)
• (10) Other (please describe)
• (11) None of the above

OSS in Paid Work

The following set of questions asks about your relationship to open source software in the context of your professional work.

Q36 OSS-AS-JOB (single choice)

if PARTICIPATION-TYPE(4)== 1 and EMPLOYMENT-STATUS < 3, then:

Do you contribute to open source as part of your professional work? In other words, are you paid for any of your time spent on open source contributions?

• (1) Yes, directly - some or all of my work duties include contributing to open source projects.
• (2) Yes, indirectly - I contribute to open source projects in carrying out other work duties, but am not required or expected to do so.
• (3) No.

Q37 OSS-AT-WORK (single choice)

if EMPLOYMENTMENT-STATUS < 3, then:

How often do you use open source software in your professional work?

• (1) Frequently
• (2) Sometimes
• (3) Rarely
• (4) Never

Q38 OSS-IP-POLICY (single choice)

if PARTICIPATION-TYPE(4) == 1 & EMPLOYMENT-STATUS < 3, then:

How does your employer's intellectual property agreement/policy affect your free-time contributions to open source unrelated to your work?

• (1) I am not permitted to contribute to open source at all.
• (2) I need to ask for permission.
• (3) I am free to contribute without asking for permission.
• (4) My employer doesn't have a clear policy on this.
• (5) I'm not sure.
• (6) Not applicable

Q39 EMPLOYER-ATTITUDES-APPLICATIONS (single choice)

if EMPLOYMENT-STATUS < 3, then:

Which is closest to your employer’s policy on using open source software applications?

• (1) Use of open source applications is encouraged.
• (2) Use of open source applications is acceptable if it is the most appropriate tool.
• (3) Use of open source applications is rarely, if ever, permitted.
• (4) My employer doesn't have a clear policy on this.
• (5) I'm not sure.
• (5) Not applicable

Q40 EMPLOYER-ATTITUDES-DEPENDENCIES (single choice)

if EMPLOYMENT-STATUS < 3 and PROFESSIONAL-SOFTWARE < 4, then:

Which is closest to your employer’s policy on incorporating open source dependencies into your codebase?

• (1) Use of open source dependencies is encouraged.
• (2) Use of open source dependencies is acceptable if it is the most appropriate tool.
• (3) Use of open source dependencies is rarely, if ever, permitted.
• (4) My employer doesn't have a clear policy on this.
• (5) I'm not sure.
• (6) Not Applicable

Q40a EMPLOYER-ATTITUDES-MODELS (single choice)

if EMPLOYMENT-STATUS < 3 and PROFESSIONAL-SOFTWARE < 4, then:

Which is closest to your employer’s policy on incorporating open source AI models into your codebase?

• (1) Use of open source AI models is encouraged.
• (2) Use of open source AI models is acceptable if it is the most appropriate tool.
• (3) Use of open source AI models is rarely, if ever, permitted.
• (4) My employer doesn't have a clear policy on this.
• (5) I'm not sure.
• (6) Not Applicable

Q41 OSS-HIRING (single choice)

if PARTICIPATION-TYPE == 4 and EMPLOYMENT-STATUS < 3, then:

How important do you think your involvement in open source was to getting your current job?

• (1) Very important
• (2) Somewhat important
• (3) Not too important
• (4) Not at all important
• (5) Not applicable, I hadn't made any contributions when I got this job.

Demographics

The following questions are about your personal demographic characteristics and background. This is the last section of the survey.

Q42 IMMIGRATION (single choice)

Do you currently live in a country other than the one in which you were born?

• (1) Yes, and I intend to stay permanently
• (2) Yes, and I intend to stay temporarily
• (3) Yes, and I am not sure about my future plans
• (4) No, I live in the country where I was born

Q43 MINORITY-HOMECOUNTRY (single choice)

if IMMIGRATION < 4, then:

Thinking of where you were born, are you a member of an ethnicity or nationality that is a considered a minority in that country?

• (1) Yes
• (2) No
• (3) Not sure
• (4) Prefer not to say

Q44 MINORITY-CURRENT-COUNTRY (single choice)

Thinking of where you currently live, are you a member of an ethnicity or nationality that is a considered a minority in that country?

• (1) Yes
• (2) No
• (3) Not sure
• (4) Prefer not to say

Q45 GENDER (single choice)

What is your gender?

• (1) Man
• (2) Woman
• (3) Non-binary or Other
• (4) Prefer not to say

Q46 TRANSGENDER-IDENTITY (single choice)

Do you identify as transgender?

• (1) Yes
• (2) No
• (3) Not sure
• (4) Prefer not to say

Q47 SEXUAL-ORIENTATION (single choice)

Do you identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual, asexual, or any other minority sexual orientation?

• (1) Yes
• (2) No
• (3) Not sure
• (4) Prefer not to say

Q48 WRITTEN-ENGLISH (single choice)

How well can you read and write in English?

• (1) Very well
• (2) Moderately Well
• (3) Not well
• (4) Not at all

Q49 AGE (dropdown menu)

What is your age?

• (1) 17 or younger
• (2) 18 to 24
• (3) 25 to 34
• (4) 35 to 44
• (5) 45 to 54
• (6) 55 to 64
• (7) 65 to 74
• (8) 75 or older
• (9) Prefer not say

Q50 FORMAL-EDUCATION (single choice)

What is highest level of formal education that you have completed?

• (1) Less than secondary (High) school
• (2) Secondary (High) school graduate or equivalent
• (3) Some college (no degree)
• (4) Vocational/trade program or apprenticeship
• (5) Bachelor’s degree
• (6) Masters’ degree
• (8) Doctorate (Ph.D.) or other advanced degree (e.g. M.D., J.D.)

Q51 PARENTS-FORMAL-EDUCATION (single choice)

What is the highest level of formal education that either of your parents completed?

• (1) Less than secondary (High) school
• (2) Secondary (High) school graduate or equivalent
• (3) Some university (college), no degree
• (4) Vocational/trade program or apprenticeship
• (5) Bachelor’s degree
• (6) Masters’ degree
• (8) Doctorate (Ph.D.) or other advanced degree (e.g. M.D., J.D.)

Q52 AGE-AT-FIRST-COMPUTER-INTERNET (single choice)

How old were you when you first had regular access to a computer with an internet connection?

• (1) Younger than 13 years old
• (2) Between 13 and 17 years old
• (3) Between 18 and 24 years old
• (4) Between 25 and 45 years old
• (5) Older than 45 years old

Q53 LOCATION-OF-FIRST-COMPUTER-INTERNET (single choice)

Where did you first have regular access to a computer with internet connection?

• (1) At home (belonging to me or a family member)
• (2) In a classroom, computer lab, or library at school
• (3) At a public library or community center
• (4) At an internet cafe or similar space
• (5) Other (please describe)

Q54 PARTICIPATION-AI (grid)

How often do you engage in each of the following activities?

	Never	Rarely	Occasionally	Frequently
(1) Write code or documentation with assistance from AI
(2) Use AI assistance in any other task supporting software development (e.g. security, planning, code review, issue management, support)
(3) Contribute to projects that use publicly available AI models to provide AI-powered features
(4) Contribute to projects that use not publicly available AI models (e.g. accessible only through an API) to provide AI-powered features
(5) Contribute to projects that develop AI infrastructure (e.g. models, datasets, orchestration, evaluation)
(6) When doing any of the above, have awareness of and follow applicable ethics/governance/responsibility/safety/security practices

Q55 PARTICIPATION-FUNDING (grid)

How often do you engage in or observe each of the following activities?

	Never	Rarely	Occasionally	Frequently
(1) I financially support others' open source projects
(2) My employer financially supports open source projects
(3) My employer provides in kind (e.g. upstream contributions) support to open source projects
(4) My government (any level) financially supports open source projects
(5) My government (any level) provides in kind (e.g. upstream contributions) support to open source projects
(6) Investors in my country fund startups that contribute to open source (e.g. by developing an open source product, supporting open source projects)

END

Thank you for participating in the Open Source Survey. We appreciate your time and willingness to contribute to this project. You can follow the project and data release in our public GitHub repo at https://github.com/github/open-source-survey.