December 11, 2009

eNews Survey: The Results Are In

About 90 of you filled out our Light Source eNews survey last month, providing us with valuable information about how you use this publication and what you think about the information it contains. Most of you read eNews every month (69 percent) and think it should remain a monthly publication (61 percent). Your favorite part of eNews is the science highlights (59 percent) and you think it's most important to be informed about the strategies and plans for the future of BNL's light sources and NSLS and NSLS-II research capabilities and scientific advances.

Below, you'll find a breakdown of the responses for each question. In addition, we received many important suggestions for how eNews could be improved, ranging from adding an online comment board to including links to more in-depth details about NSLS-II specifications and beamline designs as they evolve. We plan to explore and incorporate some of these ideas in the coming months. If you have any questions or further comments about eNews, don't hesitate to contact me.

Survey Results

1. How often do you read eNews?
   1. Every month: 69 percent
   2. Six or more times per year: 8 percent
   3. Two or three times per year: 13 percent
   4. Less than once a year: 3 percent
   5. Never: 7 percent


2. How often do you think eNews should be published?
   1. Weekly: 6 percent
   2. Bimonthly: 10 percent
   3. Monthly: 61 percent
   4. Semi-monthly: 6 percent
   5. Quarterly: 13 percent
   6. Biannually: 2 percent
   7. Annually: 2 percent


3. How much of eNews do you read?
   1. Generally read all of it: 16 percent
   2. Read most of it: 31 percent
   3. Read some of it: 32 percent
   4. Only skim through it: 15 percent
   5. Don't read it at all: 6 percent


4. What is your favorite aspect of this publication?
   1. Science highlights: 59 percent
   2. Updates from managers: 16 percent
   3. News stories: 15 percent
   4. Announcements about upcoming workshops and events: 9 percent


5. What is your least-favorite aspect of this publication?
   1. Science highlights: 13 percent
   2. Updates from managers: 37 percent
   3. News stories: 22 percent
   4. Announcements about upcoming workshops and events: 27 percent


6. Which of the following items do you believe it is most important for you to receive communications about (select up to 3):
   1. Strategies and plans for the future of BNL's light sources: 26 percent
   2. The budget picture: 6 percent
   3. NSLS and NSLS-II research capabilities and scientific advances: 26 percent
   4. Organizational or personnel changes: 7 percent
   5. Changes in policies, such as user access and safety: 11 percent
   6. Announcements about upcoming workshops and events: 12 percent
   7. NSLS and NSLS-II success stories, such as grants, user awards, project milestones, etc: 12 percent


7. Which best describes your feelings about eNews?
   1. Keeps me fully informed: 11 percent
   2. Keeps me fairly well informed: 44 percent
   3. Keeps me adequately informed: 31 percent
   4. Gives me only a limited amount of information: 8 percent
   5. Doesn't tell me much at all about what's going on: 6 percent


8. Where do you receive most of your information about what is going on at the NSLS and NSLS-II?
   1. The grapevine/rumor mill: 22 percent
   2. The NSLS website: 29 percent
   3. The NSLS-II website: 3 percent
   4. Light Source eNews: 29 percent
   5. Emails from management: 8 percent
   6. Conversation with your supervisor, beamline spokesperson, or other contact within the NSLS or NSLS-II: 0 percent
   7. Brookhaven Lab's homepage, Bulletin: 8 percent
   8. Outside news organizations: 0 percent


9. Which of the following best describes you?
   1. NSLS staff member: 13 percent
   2. NSLS-II staff member: 15 percent
   3. Brookhaven staff member (not from Light Sources Directorate): 7 percent
   4. NSLS user: 51 percent
   5. Elected official: 0 percent
   6. Funding agency representative: 1 percent
   7. Other: 14 percent