Informed Consent
The main purpose of this form is to provide information that may affect your decision about whether or not you want to participate in this research project. If you choose to participate, by clicking Continue on this form, you are saying that you have read this form or have had it read to you and that you understand this form, the research study, and its risks and benefits.
WHO IS DOING THE RESEARCH AND WHAT IS IT ABOUT?
Kimarie W. Whetstone, a doctoral learner under the direction of Dr. Ed Mayberry in the School of Education at Capella University, is conducting a research study and is inviting you to participate in it. The title of the study is Podcasting for online learners with vision loss: A descriptive study. Its purpose is to examine and describe the current uses of audio podcasts, the accessibility of audio podcasts, and the benefits of using audio podcasts as a form of access to visual course content in United States online college courses as perceived by learners with vision loss.
WHAT DOES PARTICIPATION IN THIS RESEARCH STUDY INVOLVE?
If you decide to participate in this study, you will be asked to indicate the current uses and your perceptions on the accessibility of audio podcasts in United States online college courses on an accessible, Section 508 compliant online survey on SurveyGizmo.com. Your participation will take approximately 15 minutes. All survey questions must be answered in order to submit the survey. You may withdraw from the survey at any time. The researcher will keep the data that you provide on the survey for seven years, after which it will be destroyed.
WHY ARE YOU BEING ASKED TO PARTICIPATE?
You have been invited to participate because you are an individual with vision loss at least 18 years of age, who has taken an online college course in the United States and podcasts were provided in the course.
ARE THERE ANY RISKS INVOLVED IN THIS STUDY?
Although no study is completely risk-free, we do not anticipate any risks to you if you decide to participate in this study.
ARE THERE ANY BENEFITS TO PARTICIPATION?
We do not expect any direct benefits to you from participation in this study.
WHAT HAPPENS IF THE RESEARCHER GETS NEW INFORMATION DURING THE STUDY?
The researcher will contact you if she learns new information that could change your decision about participating in this study.
HOW WILL THE RESEARCHER PROTECT PARTICIPANTS’ CONFIDENTIALITY?
The results of the research study will be published, but survey is anonymous. Your name and identity are not collected. The researcher will maintain confidentiality of the research data by making the survey anonymous. Identifiable personal information will not be collected. The researcher will assign a unique code number to each survey. When analyzing the data and discussing the findings, the researcher will use the code numbers. This will ensure that the data cannot be linked to specific participants. Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) 256 bit encryption will be used on secure survey links to transmit data back to SurveyGizmo servers. IP address tracking will be disabled in SurveyGizmo to ensure anonymity. When the informed consent and completed survey data are received by the researcher, they will be downloaded from SurveyGizmo.com, the online survey database. The survey data will be removed from SurveyGizmo.com once all of the data has been collected and downloaded. The researcher will protect the privacy of the participants by securing the data in a locked file cabinet, only accessible by the researcher. Only one log in exists to access the survey data which belongs to the researcher exclusively. The researcher will ensure that no unauthorized persons have access to the data.
WHAT HAPPENS IF A PARTICIPANT DOESN’T WANT TO CONTINUE IN THE STUDY?
Participation in this study is voluntary. If you choose not to participate or if you choose to withdraw from the study, you may do so at any time. There will be no penalty.
WILL IT COST ANYTHING TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STUDY? WILL I GET PAID TO PARTICIPATE?
There is no cost to participate in the study. Participants will not be paid to participate in the study.
WILL PARTICIPANTS BE COMPENSATED FOR ILLNESS OR INJURY?
You are not waiving any of your legal rights if you agree to participate in this study. But no funds have been set aside to compensate you in the event of injury. If you suffer harm because you participated in this research project, you may contact Kimarie W. Whetstone at 1-704-608-9673, or you may contact the Capella Human Research Protections Office at 1-888-227-3552, extension 4716.
VOLUNTARY CONSENT
By clicking Continue at the end of this form, you are saying that you have read this form or have had it read to you and that you understand this form, the research study, and its risks and benefits. The researcher will be happy to answer any questions you have about the research. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Kimarie W. Whetstone at 1-704-608-9673 or whetstonekjw@yahoo.com.
If you have any questions about your rights as a research participant or any concerns about the research process, or if you would like to discuss an unanticipated problem related to the research, please contact the Capella Human Research Protections Office at 1-888-227-3552, extension 4716. Your identity, questions, and concerns will be kept confidential.
This study has been approved by Capella University's IRB 203994-2, effective from December 15, 2011 through December 19, 2012.
