Consent to Participate in Research
University of Oklahoma
Would you like to be involved in research at the University of Oklahoma? I am Dr. Jacob Pleasants, from the Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum Department, and I invite you to participate in a research study entitled "Stories of Coming to Critical Technology Consciousness." I am conducting this study in collaboration with Daniel Krutka (University of North Texas) and Marie Heath (Loyola University Maryland).
You were selected as a possible participant because you are an attendee of the 2023 Civics of Technology Conference or were referred by an attendee of that conference.
You must be at least 18 years of age to participate in this research.
Please read this document and contact me to ask any questions you may have BEFORE agreeing to participate in this research.
What is the purpose of this research? This research aims to explore and understand how people have come to develop critical perspectives on technology.
How many participants will be in this research? About 30-50 people will take part in this research.
What will I be asked to do? If you agree to be in this research, you will be asked to compose a written narrative that expresses your answers to two central questions:
1) To you, what does it mean to take a critical perspective toward technology?
2) How have you come to take on that critical perspective?
In addition, if you indicate your willingness, the researcher may contact you to conduct a follow-up phone interview (~30 minutes) with you to expand upon your narrative.
What are the risks and/or benefits if I participate? You are being asked to complete this online consent form as part of the research. The organization hosting the data collection platform has its own privacy and security policies for keeping your information confidential. There is a risk that the external organization, which is not part of the research team, may gain access to or retain your data or your IP address which could be used to re-identify you. No assurance can be made about their use of the data you provide for purposes other than this research.
There is a risk of accidental data release if you participate in an audio-recorded phone interview. If this occurred, your identity and statements you made would become known to people who are not on the research team. To minimize this risk, the researchers will transfer data to, and store your data on, a secure platform approved by the University's Information Technology Office.
There are no direct benefits to you for participating.
Will I be compensated for participating? You will not be reimbursed for your time and participation in this research.
Who will see my information? There will be no information in research reports that will make it possible to identify you without your permission. Research records will be stored securely, and only approved researchers and the OU Institutional Review Board will have access to the records.
Do I have to participate? No. If you do not participate, you will not be penalized or lose benefits or services unrelated to the research. If you decide to participate, you don't have to answer any questions and can stop participating at any time.