Hello,
We are approaching the end of the engagement with Bocoup to clarify OpenRefine's mission, vision, and values. Thank you all for your enthusiasm and input throughout the project.
I am attaching the latest report prepared by Bocoup. OpenRefine Vision, Mission, Values - Bocoup Final Deliverables.pdf (130.9 KB). It contains
- An updated version of the vision, mission, and values (see also below)
- Recommendations for next steps
- Synthesis of the 17 initial interviews
- BarCamp Feedback Synthesis
- Discourse Feedback Synthesis
Updated Vision, Mission and Values
Vision:
A more informed world where working with data is easy and engaging.
Mission:
Empowering everyone to meaningfully engage with data by providing an
accessible open source tool and nurturing a diverse, supportive community
Values
Respectful of Diverse Backgrounds & Expertise: We celebrate that people come to the OpenRefine tool and community from varying backgrounds, identities, technical abilities, geographies, privileges, industries, linguistic backgrounds, and more. We honor the diverse experiences and expertise of our users and contributors and aim to develop features and training that encourage and nourish diverse engagement with the tool, prioritizing accessibility and usability to broaden reach and impact.
Approachable: We ensure that OpenRefine is inviting and supportive of all participants by providing various on-ramps to engagement with the tool and community, including but not limited to clear documentation, thoughtful mentorship and training, and by prioritizing ease-of-use and participation across backgrounds and skill-levels. We expect everyone to engage with kindness, warmth, patience, and an unwavering commitment to mutual support.
Transparent & Open: We create pathways for and encourage clear communication and knowledge-sharing, ranging from regularly-updated documentation to consistent public participation in community forums. We believe that transparency is essential to a collaborative community where everyone is informed and feels empowered to engage. The tool mirrors this commitment to transparency through prioritizing privacy of all users and their data.
Curious: We believe in the importance of a learning mindset, where everyone leads with questions and engages with humility. We recognize that we have a lot to learn from one another, and seek opportunities to foster our mutual growth. This includes being thoughtful in how we give and receive feedback, consistently examining our own biases, and providing proactive support to new learners in our community. For the tool itself, we operate with humility and listen to end-users to prioritize their needs and plan for features and iterations that optimize their use of the tool.
Community-driven: We seek to facilitate a meaningful sense of community among users and contributors, and to prioritize the perspectives of community members in key decisions. We believe that our users and contributors define OpenRefine, and should collaboratively drive our work forward – not as isolated individuals but as members of a diverse, supportive, and vibrant community. This is reflected in open communication about the future of the community and tool, a sense of agency among community members, and in democratic decision-making around strategic and technical priorities.
Next steps.
As outlined in the recommendation for the next steps, we plan to do one last round of revision following the results of the 2024 user survey. After that, we will be able to incorporate them into our website.
Feel free to share how you feel about the new mission, vision, and values in this thread.