FOR VOLUNTEERS
Following are the basic points to be taken care by the volunteers. These points are shared on this site openly as all the connected readers/researchers/educators ought to know how OCIR works/wants to work as each individual volunteer has full autonomy to handle queries on his/ own with passion and commitment.
1. OCIR is an open platform to serve the researchers with passion and concern in the tough time of COVID-19 pandemic. This is also a great opportunity for all the volunteers to “learn, unlearn and relearn” our skills/knowledge.
2. Brush up/ read latest trends in the themes listed for assistance, no matter whether the theme is of your group or others. “Read, update, and share”—this should be our approach.
3. Keep checking the mails for queries (on daily basis, both in Inbox and Spam folder).
4. At first, acknowledge the mail received from the researcher/s stating that:
Dear Mr/Ms. X. Y. Z.,
Thanks for your query.
We shall get back to you as early as possible.
Regards,
E.F.G.
5. Quick and prompt reply of assurance and immediate help will bring smile on the face of the researcher/s.
6. Along with your answer/solution, you may share the relevant links of any PPTs, videos or documents (available in public domain) with the researchers so that they understand more about the query/concept. Please avoid sharing the resources/ full-text documents that are paid/ subscribed by your oranisation.
7. If it is short range reference query, you may answer it on that day itself but if it is a long range reference query, let them know that:
Dear Mr/Ms. A. B. C.,
I am working on your query.
It may take a couple of days to respond.
Kindly cooperate”.
Regards,
M. N. O.
8. If you are unable to answer or occupied with any unavoidable work, you may please direct the query to any other suitable volunteer/s keeping the researcher in loop (in CC). The researcher needs to know how the volunteer is committed to help him/her.
9. There is a high chance that the first one or two volunteers may get more queries as the researchers prefer to approach the ones who are listed in first or second places. To avoid voluminous of emails for one or two volunteers, the list of volunteers will be periodically rearranged alphabetically (A to Z and Z to A) and also randomly (M, A, N, G).
10. Volunteers wishing to withdraw their name due to personal/professional commitment/s or for any other reason may write to ocircommunity@gmail.com (This may take 3-4 working days).
11. Update the number of questions you received and responded on https://forms.gle/zN4L2xmppfWRtxY98 once in a month.
12. OCIR, being a not-for-profit and personal initiative, no honorarium/amount or recognition/certificate would be given. A thanking mail is a privilege and certainly all volunteers deserve to get.
13. As it’s a noble cause, no need to market but you can talk about it and share details about it. Please share the link of the website/ brochure with researchers, supervisors, librarians and academicians so that many may get your assistance.
14. You all may please keep guiding the researchers even after the COVID-19 pandemic period and reopening of universities/institutes. 'Each volunteer’ has full autonomy to receive a query on his/ her personal email ID and answer it. All credits goes to him/ her only. There is no mechanism to evaluate/administer the volunteers' performance.
15. A Google Group i.e. 'OCIR Community' has been created for communication among all the volunteers.
16. If any of your professional friend/ colleague wishes to be a part of the OCIR Community, please request him/her to send a formal request mail to ocircommunity@gmail.com. (Note: (a) Requests may or may not be considered. (b) Adding new name may take considerable time).
Page last updated: 7th June. 2021
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