ISPSO Guidelines Online Special Interest Groups
September 2005

A. ISPSO- sponsored email discussion groups are limited to ISPSO members only.

B. Every OSIG will be self managed and self-supporting. The listserver and website are available as resources for recruitment and for information about the group’s activities, as is support from Board member who is Board Liaison. For 2005/2006 this is Lilian Hupkens.

C. The Online Special Interest Groups will set up their own discussion mailing list or use Yahoo or other facilities. The discussions do not run through the listserver. Interested members will have to sign up with the group or apply for entry to the OSIG facilitator, whichever has been chosen.

D. Every ISPSO member can initiate an online discussion group and find a group of like-minded colleagues. In the actual set up of the group it is necessary to first contact the Board Liaison for information, practical help and advice. The Board maintains an “advise and consent” role here - just as we have in the process of forming regional groups.

E. Organisation of the OSIG. The initiator of an OSIG is at the same time the facilitator of that group and informs the Board liaison. It is up to the facilitator to decide whether to run the group by him/herself or to ask others for specific. Possible roles besides the initiator/facilitator could be that of “monitor” or “consultant”, a person invited to watch the process dynamics, and who can provide feedback to the facilitator, if and when appropriate. The monitor and facilitator could work together when questions arise which may need interventions.

F. Containment We propose that any group wishing to set up an Online Special Interest Group might think about making a plan for the online discussion, for example: how to start off the discussion, what phases to introduce, time boundaries, content boundaries. The groups will have to develop a way of monitoring the discussions, seeing what is necessary or wanted. Experience with our other online activities has led to the formulation of a “code of conduct”. We would like to point out the Guidelines for our ISPSO Listserver.

We are looking forward to seeing this new activity take flight and flourish!