Why are you being invited to take part in this research?
You are being invited to take part in a research study about the level of confidence
and trust that Americans have in government in the United States. We are particularly
interested in finding out why confidence might vary across different groups
of Americans (i.e. heterosexual/non-heterosexual populations).
Who is doing the study?
The person in charge of this study is Jerry Thomas (principle investigator)
of the University of Kentucky. He is being guided in this research by Ellen
D.B. Riggle, Ph.D. (advisor) and Sharon Scales Rostosky, Ph.D. (advisor). There
may be other people on the research team assisting at different times during
the study.
What will you be asked to do?
You are asked to complete an on-line survey that asks questions about you and
your feelings about government. The survey will take about 10-15 minutes. By
completing the survey and submitting it to us, you are agreeing to participate
in the study.
Are there reasons why you should not take part in
this study?
You should not participate if you are under 18. You should not participate if
you are not a citizen or resident of the United States.
What are the possible risks and discomforts?
To the best of our knowledge, the things you will be doing have no more risk
of harm than you would experience in everyday life. All information you provide
us in this survey will be used only for the purposes of this study, and will
be kept confidential among the research team. However, there is always a risk
that a third party could intercept any information you submit through the Internet.
To minimize this risk of this happening, we recommend you close your browser
and restart your computer after you submit your survey.
Will you benefit from taking part in this study?
We cannot and do not guarantee that you will receive any benefits from this
study. However, your willingness to take part may, in the future, help society
as a whole better understand this research topic.
Do you have to take part in the study?
If you decide to take part in the study, it should be because you really want
to volunteer. You will not lose any benefits or rights you would normally have
if you choose not to volunteer. You can stop at any time during the study and
still keep the benefits and rights you had before volunteering. YOU MAY ELECT
TO SKIP ANY QUESTION THAT YOU DO NOT WISH TO ANSWER. You may elect to stop your
participation at any time by simply exiting the study.
What will it cost you to participate?
There are no costs associated with taking part in this study. You will not receive
any payment or reward for taking part in this study.
Who will see the information you give?
Your information will be combined with information from other people taking
part in the study. When we write up the study to share it with other researchers,
we will write about this combined information. You will not be identified in
these written materials.
At the end of this study you will be given the opportunity to provide follow-up
contact information if you would like to participate in the study further. However,
you do not need to provide any self-identifying contact information to participate
in this study. If you choose not to provide us this information, the information
you provide us will be anonymous. This means that no one, not even members of
the research team, will know that the information you give came from you. If
you choose to provide us follow-up contact information, we will make every effort
to prevent anyone who is not on the research team from knowing that you gave
us information, or what that information is. For example, your name will be
kept separate from the information you give, and these two things will be stored
in different places under lock and key.
What if you have questions?
If you have questions about the study, you can contact the investigator, Jerry
Thomas, at jerry.thomas@uky.edu. If you have any questions about your rights
as a research volunteer, contact the staff in the Office of Research Integrity
at the University of Kentucky at 859-257-9428 or toll free at 1-866-400-9428.
We will give you a copy of this consent form to take with you.
Acknowledgement
I consent to participate in this research. The following has been completely
explained to me: the purpose of the study, the procedures to be followed, and
the expected duration of participation. Possible benefits and risks of the study
have been described.
I acknowledge that I have been given the opportunity to obtain additional information regarding the study and that any questions I have raised have been answered to my full satisfaction. Furthermore, I understand that I am free to withdraw consent at any time and to discontinue participation in the study without prejudice to me.
Finally, by the act of clicking the CONTINUE button, I acknowledge that I am over the age of 18 and that I have read and fully understand this consent form.
If you do not meet the criteria listed above or are not interested in continuing,
simply close your browser or click the I decline button below.