Appendix E

Research Study Information/For Young Adult Participants

 

Who I Am and Why I’m Doing a Survey

My name is Kathryn Pierce.  I am getting a Masters Degree at Southern Connecticut State University.  I do most of my schoolwork online. To get my degree, I must complete a research project.  All parts of the project have been through an Institutional Review Board process at my University, and the library has given permission to survey young adults in this location.  I am not an employee of the school district or the public library system. Should you wish to reach me for information after this date, you can get my phone number from the library system’s central office or from the director of this branch

 

What the Survey and the Study Are About

In my study I will be looking at what you have been taught in school or elsewhere about online library catalogs and other online resources only available through library websites.

I am interested in what you know about them and how much you use them.

 

Before You Decide

Before you agree to fill out the survey, please read or listen carefully to all of the information in this consent form. It is important that you understand what the study is about and how filling out the survey might affect you personally either positively or negatively. Be sure to ask questions about anything that confuses you. 

 

How the Survey Might Affect You Personally

The survey will not take much of your time.  It should not make you uncomfortable.  You may discover some things you do not know about, but the survey is not a test. There are no right and wrong answers.  Even if you do decide to fill out the survey, you can leave blank any questions you don’t like.  You can also change your mind about doing the survey even after you have said you would.  Except for the $1.00 or candy, you personally will probably not benefit from the part you play in the study.  You might get clues about library resources taking the survey, but it won’t be enough to help you without more investigation. 

 

How the Study Might Help Other People

The study is intended to let teachers and librarians know if they are really teaching you how to find good information in any library.  If they aren’t, and it changes, it might help other students in the future

                                                                 

It’s Voluntary

You get to choose whether you want to fill out the survey or not.  You can also change your mind.

 

Your Answers Are Private

No one will see your survey answers except me.  The survey does not ask your name.  I will be writing a report about what I find, but in it I will combine the answers I receive from a lot of people.  The report will not include the names of any of them, or the name of this library, the name of your school, or even the part of the United States we live in. No one who reads the report will be able to tell that you filled out a survey.

 

Consent

The survey contains has a place to acknowledge that you received this information document and have read it.

Research Report