INFORMATION SHEET FOR PARTICIPANTS
YOU WILL BE GIVEN A PDF COPY OF THIS INFORMATION SHEET
Project Title:Testing the readability and validity of web-survey questions
I would like to invite you to participate in thisresearch project. Before you decide whether you want to take part, please take time to read the following information carefully and discuss it with others if you wish.
The purpose of this study is totest the readability, word length, reliability and validity of different sets of non-related questions that will be used to develop three separate web-survey studies. Participation will involve you being shown and asked to respond to a series of general questions about for example, the types of magazines and newspapers that you read, and the types of television shows that you watch. You will also be shown images meant to test your memory and attention.The wholesurveyshould take about 8-13 minutes to complete. The survey will be available online, and you may choose to take it whenever is most convenient for you.
We believe there are no known risks or harms associated with this research study; however, as with any online related activity the risk of a breach of confidentiality is always possible. To the best of our ability your answers in this study will remain confidential. We will minimize any risks by anonymising your data in all published reports or public presentations so that your individual responses cannot be traced to you. Additionally, your data will be kept completely confidential and stored in password protected folders and files that will only be accessible to the following Middlesex University researcher; Dr. Rodolfo Leyva. Moreover you will not be asked to provide any personal identification data such as your name and contact details.Therefore your responses will be completely anonymous
Your participation in this study is completely voluntary and choosing not to take part will not disadvantage you in any way. Moreover, if you decide at any time during the research that you no longer wish to participate in this project, you can notify the lead researcher whose contact details are providedbelow and withdraw from it immediately without giving any reason, which you are free to do so up until October 1, 2016. By this date the final report will have been written. Correspondingly, all of the data for this study will be completely deleted by October 1, 2017.
It is up to you to decide whether to take part or not. If you decide to take part please note that by following the provided survey link and agreeing to the stipulations outlined in the consent form that will be displayed to you, that you are consenting to take part in the study and to having any data that you provide anonymised and subject to analysis and publication.
If you have any questions or require more information about this study, or if you believe that this study has cause harm in any way please contact the lead researcher and/or the ethics approval committee officer using the contact details listed at the end of this document.
Finally, if you participate in this study and have any further queries and/or wish to be debriefed further on the aims and outcomes of this study, please feel free to direct your questions to thelead researcher Dr. Rodolfo Leyva () following your completion of this survey. Thank you very much for your consideration.
Dr. Rodolfo Leyva (Lead Resaercher)
Department of Criminology and Sociology
Email:
Telephone: (0)20 8411 5450
Dr. Sarah Bradshaw (Ethics Committee Chair)
Department of Law and Politics
Email: ).
Telephone: 0)20 8411 6438