Ginny Crisco would like to collect email messages sent to the United States Green Party Coordinating Committee listserv to observe how people voice their opinions, how decisions are made, and how democracy is facilitated at the national level. If she receives approval to go forward with this research, she will send out research consent forms (with self-addressed stamped envelopes) to each participant on the Coordinating Committee listserv for their individual approval to have their email messages collected and used in her research (see below for the full text of the research consent form). No person has to be involved in the research and any person can decide not to be involved at any time during the research. In addition, all information obtained through this research will remain strictly confidential. Names of individual states will be changed; no last names will be used; first names will be used only according to how the consent form is filled out by the participant (see below).
This study, if approved, will run for 1 year, starting the day the research proposal is approved. This research may be published in her dissertation, may be presented at academic conferences, and could also be published into a short article or full length book for the field of Composition and Rhetoric. As the write up gets closer to completion, the Steering Committee, or another appointed committee, will have the option and be encouraged to read and respond to my interpretations and analyses.
RESOURCES: None
REFERENCES: The form below will be sent to all persons on the coordinating committee listserv for their individual approval to be a part of Ginny Crisco's research process.
Informed Consent for Educational Research
Title: Intercultural Collaboration and the Teaching of Writing: What Community Activism can Teach Teachers about Democracy
Purpose of the Research: My research interest is on classroom collaboration as a democratic process for learning. I would like to research the Nebraska Green Party and the United States Green party listserv to observe how voluntary participants support democracy within the group and as a part of a national political party. This information will be used to inform sites of literacy learning to think more specifically about how students can learn to be democratic participants through literacy learning. You have been invited to participate because you are a part of the United States Green Party coordinating committee listserv. The research will run from November 21, 2002 through November 21, 2003.
Procedures: I would like to collect email messages sent to the United States Green Party Coordinating Committee listserv to observe how people voice their opinions, how decisions are made, and how democracy is facilitated at the national level. This will take none of your time.
Risks and/or Discomforts: There are no known risks or discomforts that may result from being a participant in this research.
Benefits: Possible benefits of this research include reflection on the Green Party¹s democratic participation and procedures.
Confidentiality: All information I obtain from the United States Green Party Coordinating Committee listerv will remain confidential based on how each participant fills out the consent form (see below). The only person who will have access to the research material will be me. The email messages I collect may be published in my dissertation, may be presented at academic conferences, and could also be published into a short article or full length book for the field of Composition and Rhetoric. Contact information will remain confidential. Any participant has the option of not being included in this research project.
Compensation: There will be no compensation for participating in this research.
Opportunity to Ask Questions: As a participant in this research project, you can, at any time, ask questions about how your information is being used. When the project gets closer to being finished, I would like to pass the written text on to the Steering Committee to read my interpretation and analyses to make sure that I have represented the individual and the Green Party respectfully and honestly.
Freedom to Withdraw: Individual participation is completely voluntary, and any person is free to withdraw their individual consent from this research at any time.
Consent, Right to Received a Copy:This form requests your consent to allow the collection of your email messages from the United States Green Party Coordinating Committee Listserv to be included in Virginia Crisco¹s research project. The material obtained in the research will be used for Virginia Crisco¹s dissertation and could also be used for conference presentations or publication as an article or a book. You will be given a copy of this consent form. Please check the following categories if you give consent:
_____ I am willing to have my email messages collected and included in Virginia Crisco¹s research project.
Please check one of the following:
_____ I wish to have my name remain on my email messages.
_____ I wish to have a pseudonym: _______________________________
Please specify any restrictions on the use of your email messages:
________________________________________________________________________
Your Name: (Please print): _______________________________________
Date: ______________________________________
Phone Number: ___________________
Email Address:_____________________________
Home Address: ____________________________________________________________________________
By signing below you give your permission for your email messages to be used with the restrictions and for the purposes indicated above. You understand that your anonymity will be maintained unless you designate otherwise. Finally, you understand that you are free to withdraw consent at any time, now or in the future.
Signature: _________________________________
If you have questions or concerns, please contact Virginia (Ginny) Crisco, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Andrews 202, P.O. Box 880333, Lincoln, NE 68588-0333;(402) 435-0483; Ginny or Professor Joy Ritchie at address listed above, by phone at (402) 472-1858 or by email at Joy Ritchie .
If you have any questions about your rights as a participant, you can contact the University of Nebraska-Lincoln¹s Institutional Review Board at (402) 472-6965 or write to: Institutional Review Board, 103 Whittier Building, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583-0849.