In 2013 OSHWA conducted a survey of the international open source hardware community, which received 1007 responses. These are the aggregate results.
Section 1: Intro
Section 2: Use – Products
Section 3: Use – Designs
Section 4: Development
Section 5: Licenses & Definition
Section 6: Income
Section 7: Comments
Section 8: Open Hardware Summit
Section 9: Demographics
Section 10: Feedback
[Download the master file with all the survey results]
SECTION 1: INTRO
Q1. How did you first get involved with open-source hardware?
[click to download the source spreadsheet]
SECTION 2: USE – PRODUCTS
Q2. Have you ever used open-source hardware products?
[click to download the source spreadsheet]
Q3. How do you use open-source hardware products? (check all that apply)
[click to download the source spreadsheet]
Q4. For the open-source hardware products that you use, how important were each of the following criteria in your decision to use an open-source hardware product instead of a proprietary one? (please rate the importance to you of each of the following)
[click to download the source spreadsheet]
Q5. For situations in which you’d like to use an open-source hardware product but currently use a proprietary one instead, how important are each of the following factors in preventing you from using an open-source product? (please rate the importance to you of each of the following)
[click to download the source spreadsheet]
SECTION 3: USE – DESIGNS
Q6. Have you ever used others’ open-source hardware designs to…? (check all that apply)
[click to download the source spreadsheet]
SECTION 4: DEVELOPMENT
Q7. Have you ever worked on or contributed to an open-source hardware project or design?
[click to download the source spreadsheet]
Q8. What year did you first begin working on or contributing to open-source hardware projects or designs?
[click to download the source spreadsheet]
Q9. On average, how many hours per week do you spend working on or contributing to open-source hardware projects or designs?
[click to download the source spreadsheet]
Q10. Why do you work on or contribute to hardware projects and/or designs? (check all that apply)
[click to download the source spreadsheet]
Q11. For hardware projects or designs which you decided to open-source, how important were each of the following criteria in the decision?
[click to download the source spreadsheet]
Q12. Have you ever…?
[click to download the source spreadsheet]
Q13. Tell us more about how you publish and document your open source hardware. Have you…? (check all that apply)
[click to download the source spreadsheet]
SECTION 5: LICENSES & DEFINITION
Q14. What licenses have you used to release hardware files? (check all that apply)
[click to download the source spreadsheet]
Q15. Do you use the Open Source Hardware (blue gear) logo on your hardware?
[click to download the source spreadsheet]
SECTION 6: INCOME
Q16. Does any of your income come from open-source hardware (e.g. developing it, distributing it, working or consulting for an open-source hardware company, etc)?
[click to download the source spreadsheet]
Q17. How much of your income does your work on open-source hardware represent? (if you develop open-source hardware for/at a company, please include that income)
[click to download the source spreadsheet]
Q18. In 2012 what was your total personal income resulting from work on open-source hardware? (if you develop open-source hardware for/at a company, please include that income)
[click to download the source spreadsheet]
Q19. Does your open-source hardware related income come from…
[click to download the source spreadsheet]
SECTION 7: COMMENTS
Q20. Do you have any comments, thoughts or stories about open source hardware you’d like to share?
[click to download the source spreadsheet]
SECTION 8: OPEN HARDWARE SUMMIT
Q21. Did you attend the Open Hardware Summit in 2012?
[click to download the source spreadsheet]
Q22. Did you attend the Open Hardware Summit in 2011?
[click to download the source spreadsheet]
Q23. Did you attend the Open Hardware Summit in 2010?
[click to download the source spreadsheet]
SECTION 9: DEMOGRAPHICS
Q24. Regarding your work with hardware, do you consider yourself a… (check all that apply)
[click to download the source spreadsheet]
Q25. Are you a member of a hackerspace/makerspace? (check all that apply)
[click to download the source spreadsheet]
Q26. How old are you?
[click to download the source spreadsheet]
Q27. What country do you live in?
[click to download the source spreadsheet]
Q28. What city do you live in?
[click to download the source spreadsheet]
Q29. What’s your gender?
[click to download the source spreadsheet]
Q30. What’s you marital status?
[click to download the source spreadsheet]
Q31. Do you have children?
[click to download the source spreadsheet]
Q32. What is the highest level of school you have completed or the highest degree you have received?
[click to download the source spreadsheet]
Q33. The Open Hardware community is made up of many creative individuals coming from diverse backgrounds. Which fields would you consider your areas of experience? (check all that apply)
[click to download the source spreadsheet]
Q34. What’s your profession?
[click to download the source spreadsheet]
Q35. Do you consider yourself to be of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin?
[click to download the source spreadsheet]
Q36. What race do you identify with?
[click to download the source spreadsheet]
SECTION 10: FEEDBACK
Q37. Do you have any feedback or comments about the survey?
[click to download the source spreadsheet]
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First let me say that I am a true believer in open source hardware, and really appreciate the work that OSHWA does to help the movement.
That said, i think there were a few problems with the 2013 community survey. Some of the questions seemed to be unfocused. Also, 37 questions might have been too long.
For example, instead of the race questions i would have asked:
“Which languages are you fluent in? (check all that apply)
this is more useful for OS project managers who are translating their project into other languages.
Also, instead of “which OS hardware did you first get involved with?” i would have asked:
“Which OS hardware are you currently most interested in?”
this keeps the focus on the present state of OSHW
also, i think questions 3, 4, 5, and 6 could have been condensed into:
What areas are you interested in applying OSHW (check all that apply)
-education
-production
-liberation (expanding global access)
-innovation (pushing the limits)
-end the patent system
-other
This would give us a nice feel for where the community needs are without getting too specific.
Also, i was very interested in the response to Question 7, 57% of OSHW users believe they are not contributing, this is terrible. We need our users to know that even if they are simply using OSHW they are contributing by spreading idea, showing their friends, opening up their own minds. There are MANY ways to contribute to OSHW, and maybe we need to focus more on how people can contribute MORE if they really feel as though they are not contributing at all.
After question 7 I would ask:
What skills do posses? (check all that apply, separate skills in “other” by comma)
-programming
-electronics (soldering)
-Computer Aided Design
-Finite Element Method Analysis
-Computational Fluid Dynamics
-Art (marketing)
-Social (good at making friends)
-fundraising
-mathematics
-product testing
-writing reviews
-other (don’t be bashful, tell us what you are good at!)
This might illuminate what users we need to attract more of, and what areas our current community could be better used for.
Anyway, I think there is a great deal of information we can glean from the current survey results. And i think the sample size (~1000) is a good representation of our community. I will continue to study the results, and share my thoughts and ideas. Thank you OSHWA!