Add blog post: Calling New Contributors research study (#8571)

Co-authored-by: Tiffany Hrabusa <[email protected]>
Co-authored-by: otelbot <[email protected]>

Author: 3 people

content/en/blog/2025/calling-new-contributors/index.md

@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+---
+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
+---
+
+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.

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