You are asked to participate in a research study conducted by Dr. Blair Nonnecke and Jonathan Haber, from the Department of Computing and Information Science at the University of Guelph. The results of this research study will contribute to a undergraduate thesis project.
If you have any questions or concerns about the research, please feel free to contact Dr. Blair Nonnecke at (519) 824-4120 ext. 56407 or email: [email protected]
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this research project is to research the development of relationships and statistically rank the quality of these relationships in a special population of online community members. The results expected will most likely show a strong possibility that relationships can and do develop on line and that there is a progression in terms of closeness in these relationships. They will also hopefully reflect and strengthen the results obtained in a similar study "Making Friends in Cyberspace" by Parks and Floyd
POTENTIAL RISKS AND DISCOMFORTS
There are no potential reasonably foreseeable risks, discomforts, inconveniences associated with participating in this research project.
POTENTIAL BENEFITS TO PARTICIPANTS AND/OR TO SOCIETY
Student researcher - will increase the understanding of the developement of online relationships;
Participants - no direct benefit;
Scientific community - the study will attempt to reconfirm results found by Floyd and Parks in the study "Making Friends in Cyberspace";
Society - a better understanding of how relationships compare when developed in online communities as opposed to relationships developed in the real world.
PAYMENT FOR PARTICIPATION
The participants will not receive compensation for the participation in this research project. However one participant in the survey will be randomly selected and receive a free professionally hand-stitched footbag by Jeremy Mirken.
Participants do not need to answer all questions or fully complete the survey inorder to be eligble for the free bag.
CONFIDENTIALITY
Every effort will be made to ensure confidentiality of any identifying information that is obtained in connection with this study. The identities of the persons involved in this research will be protected. The data collected in this study will be erased upon completion of this research project. The resulting data collected in the online survey will not be released to any third parties and will be used solely in the research project by Blair Nonnecke and Jonathan Haber from the Department of Computing and Information Science at the University of Guelph.
PARTICIPATION AND WITHDRAWAL
You may choose whether to be in this study or not. If you volunteer to be in this study, you will be unable to request that your input is withdrawn from our results. You may refuse to answer any questions you don’t want to answer and still remain in the study except for the first question. The investigator may withdraw you from this research if circumstances arise that warrant doing so. Doing any of the above will not impact your chance of winning the free footbag.
RIGHTS OF RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS
You are not waiving any legal claims, rights or remedies because of your participation in this research study. This study has been reviewed and received ethics clearance through the University of Guelph Research Ethics Board. If you have questions regarding your rights as a research participant, contact:
Research Ethics Coordinator
University of Guelph
437 University Centre
Guelph, ON, Canada
N1G 2W1
E-mail: [email protected]
Telephone: (519) 824-4120, ext. 56606
Fax: (519) 821-5236
The survey will be open for two weeks from the date of this posting.
March 20 - April 3, 2006
The survey takes approximately 15 minutes to complete.
One entry per user.
Results of the survey will be posted to the forum when the study is completed. The winner of the bag will announced the day after the study is closed.
Thank you,
Jonathan Haber
Click here to begin the survey
Example picture of a Mirken bag (not the actual bag that will be awarded)
Mods please sticky.
