FutureShoreline Evaluation: Informed Consent Form
IRB #1834 - 2020
Researchers: Andrea Mah, Dr. Ezra Markowitz, and Dr. Carolina Aragon
This consent form will give you information about the research, so you can make an informed decision about participation in this research. We encourage you to take some time to think this over and ask questions now and at any other time. We are asking for consent because this is a voluntary research study and want to make sure you understand fully what the purpose of the study is and what risks there are (if any).
What is the purpose of the research? The purpose of this research is to understand the impact of public art installations on climate change knowledge and attitudes; to explore public perceptions and attitudes towards climate change resilience; and to facilitate more targeted and effective outreach strategies.
What are some important aspects of this research that I should be aware of? Your participation is voluntary. You can withdraw from the evaluation at any time. Your participation has no impact on your relationship to the University of Massachusetts Amherst or any of the researchers. You will be asked to complete a short survey (approximately 15 minutes) on your computer or mobile device. The survey will include questions about your beliefs and feelings about climate change and sea-level rise, your beliefs and experiences with COVID-19, and to report some demographic data. You may choose to skip any questions you do not want to answer. To assess the impact of the art installation, a follow-up questionnaire will be emailed to you in one month's time, which will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete.
For participating in the study, you will be eligible to enter a draw for one of ten 50$ amazon gift cards.
Benefits and Harm: Your participation in this evaluation will help increase understanding of the impact of public art installations and of effective outreach strategies. No risk is anticipated, however, thinking about the issue of climate change could be stressful, if you feel you need to talk to someone about distress, we have provided the contact information for counseling services (see below). Although we do not foresee any harms to participating in this research, if you feel you have been harmed, please contact the evaluators (listed below).
Who can I contact if I feel I have been harmed? If for any reason you want to talk with someone about any feelings or thoughts you had while completing the survey, there are counseling services available. Contact the SAMSHA Treatment Referral Helpline (Phone: 1-877-726-4727, Website: https://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/) to get information on treatment services in your area. In an acute emergency, remember you can also call 911 for immediate assistance.
Confidentiality: We believe there are minimal risks associated with this research study; however, a risk of breach of confidentiality always exists and we have taken the steps to minimize this risk. Every effort will be made to protect the confidentiality of respondent information and questionnaire data. Participants will be assigned a unique numerical code as a unique identifier, and email addresses will be removed from questionnaires. The email list will be kept separately until the gift card draw is complete, and responses to the first and second survey are linked will then be destroyed, in approximately 3 months. Data will be stored only on campus-issued, password-protected computers, and on BOX, a secure server for researchers who need remote access. If your data is made publicly available to other researchers (e.g. through OpenScience) all data will be deidentified with your random numeric code removed as well. Additionally, if research findings are presented publicly, they will only be reported in aggregate form and individual responses will not be shown.
Who can I talk to if I have questions?
Take as long as you like before you make a decision. We will be happy to answer any question you have about this study. If you have further questions about this project or if you have a research-related problem, you may contact the principal investigators Andrea Mah (amah@umass.edu) or Ezra Markowitz (emarkowitz@psych.umass.edu). If you would like to speak with someone not directly involved in the research study or have questions concerning your rights as a research subject, you may contact the University of Massachusetts Amherst Human Research Protection Office (HRPO; humansubjects@ora.umass.edu or 413-545-3428).
What happens if I say yes, but I change my mind later? You do not have to be in this study if you do not want to. If you agree to be in the study, but later change your mind, you may drop out at any time. There are no penalties or consequences of any kind if you decide that you do not want to participate. If you decide to withdraw prior to completion and want your data removed from the study, you should send an email to Andrea Mah at amah@umass.edu to have your data removed. However, be aware once data has been collected and we have destroyed records of participants’ email addresses, we will no longer be able to remove your data from the study as it will not be identifiable. This will occur by December 10, 2020, so if you complete the surveys and decide later that you want your data to be removed, contact the investigators prior to that point.
What if I am injured?
The University of Massachusetts does not have a program for compensating subjects for injury or complications related to human subjects research, but the study personnel will assist you in getting treatment, though injury in this study is highly unlikely.
Subject Statement of Voluntary Consent: When clicking ‘YES’ below I am agreeing to voluntarily enter this study and affirming that I am 18+ years old. I have had a chance to read this consent form, and it was explained to me in a language which I use. I have had the opportunity to ask questions and have received satisfactory answers. I have been informed that I can withdraw at any time.