---
title:
  Calling New Contributors - Help Us Improve the OpenTelemetry Onboarding
  Experience
linkTitle: New Contributor Research Study
date: 2025-12-05
author: >-
  [Amy Super](https://github.com/amy-super) (Grafana Labs)
issue: 7966
sig: Contributor Experience
---

> [!NOTE] Update as of 2025-12-08
>
> A giant thank you to those of you who have volunteered to participate! We have
> received more interest than expected, so sign-ups are closed for now. Stay
> tuned to the OpenTelemetry blog for more feedback opportunities in the future.

If you've ever thought about contributing to OpenTelemetry but weren't sure
where to start, you're not alone. In a
[recent community](/blog/2025/contribex-survey-results/) survey, we heard that
people were excited to contribute but got stuck taking those first steps.
Contributing to open source can feel daunting, and we want to change that.

That's why we're launching a new research study focused on the _new contributor
experience_. We want to understand what's working well, where people are having
issues, and how we can better support community members who want to get
involved.

## Why we're doing this

As an open source project, OpenTelemetry thrives on community contributions. If
new contributors struggle to get started, it's frustrating for them and slows
down the overall project.

The recent survey results uncovered some challenges: from finding the right
documentation, to setting up their environment, to figuring out where to ask for
help. We're grateful that the data helped us understand _what_ is challenging,
but now we'd like to learn more about _why_ those things are challenging.

## What the research study involves

We're looking to talk with people who:

- Are new to contributing to OpenTelemetry, or
- Have tried to contribute but found the process difficult.

Through short interviews, we'll learn about what worked, what didn't, and what
could make it easier for you (and others) to get started.

Every experience matters, whether you've already submitted multiple pull
requests or never got past the "I want to help" stage.

## How to participate

If you're interested in joining the study, we'd love to hear from you!
[Sign up here](https://calendar.app.google/YRgmzf8zJDSKYaj49).

Participation involves a short interview with our research team, and your
feedback will be used to improve the OpenTelemetry contributor experience for
everyone.

## Help build the future of OpenTelemetry

Open source is strongest when it's inclusive and accessible. By sharing your
perspective, you'll play a direct role in shaping a smoother path for future
contributors.

We can't wait to learn from you and make contributing to OpenTelemetry a more
welcoming journey.
