This is the informed consent form I created for my developing project. It may change, as I am still waiting for my tutor’s feedback on my revised proposal (which I will post on my blog once it is finalized).
Any thoughts on this?
Informed Consent to Participate in Research
Researcher: Jeffrey Keefer
Email: j [DOT] keefer [AT] lancaster [DOT] ac [DOT] uk
Title of Research: Educational Explorations of Autoethnographic Inquiry: A Tale of 2 Teachers
Thank you for agreeing to participate in this study conducted by Jeffrey Keefer, studying in the Educational Research Department of Lancaster University. It will take place from May 1, 2009 to May 31, 2009.
Purpose
The purpose of this project is to understand the autoethnographic researcher’s learning goals for his or her readers and how the researcher’s own learning develops through the process of conducting the autoethnographic inquiry.
Procedures
The research involves my asking you several open-ended research questions, including:
1. Why did you choose to use autoethnographic inquiry?
2. Who is your intended audience?
3. What goals did you have for your readers or learners?
4. What role did technology play in your research?
5. What did you learn in the process of this autoethnographic inquiry?
6. If you were to conduct further autoethnographic inquiry, what would you do differently?
I will hand-record the responses and conversation, and I will send you a transcript of the discussion for your review. I will then code the discussion (for themes) and again send to you for your review (both times to confirm I captured what you said and / or intended). It is expected that the entire time commitment will be 60 minutes (30 minutes for the interview, and 15 minutes each for your review of my notes and coding).
Risks
There are no known risks for participating in this research.
I guarantee the following conditions will be met:
1. Your real name will not be used at any point of information collection, or in the written case report; instead, you and any other person and place names involved in your case will be given pseudonyms that will be used in all verbal and written records and reports.
2. Your participation in this research is voluntary; you have the right to withdraw at any point of the study, for any reason, and without any prejudice, and the information collected and records and reports written will be destroyed.
3. All research notes and communication will be maintained within my password-protected computer; nobody else will have access to them.
4. I will use this information to write a case study for my doctoral class and, based on feedback, consider submitting a revised version for research publication.
5. You will receive a copy of the final paper that is submitted to my instructor.
6. You are encouraged to ask any questions at any time about the nature of the study and the methods that I am using. Your suggestions and concerns are important to me; please contact me at any time at the address/phone number listed above.
Benefits
This research is important to me because I am interested in learning more about how autoethnography can be used as a method in online and distance education, particularly for its seeming relationship with reflective practice and transformative learning. I hope to better understand this to ultimately help improve the effectiveness of online teaching and learning practice.
Consent
I agree to the terms listed above:
Respondent ___________________________ Date _____________
I agree to the terms listed above:
Researcher ___________________________ Date _____________