Women in Mountain Biking

Informed Consent By Participants in a Research Study

Project Description: Women in Mountain Biking

Principal Investigator:
Ashley Turk, 4th Year Communication Design Student
Emily Carr University of Art and Design
(604) 351 2292 aturk@ecuad.ca

Faculty Supervisor:
Jonathan Aitken, Department of Design Professor
(604) 737 1746 jonathan_aitken@ecuad.ca
Emily Carr University of Art and Design

Overview:
You are invited to participate in a study that involves research. The purpose of this study is to explore the interests, opinions and experiences of women who are involved in the sport of mountain biking, in order to address the need for a new form of industrial media that supports the needs and wants of women, as a growing market segment of the mountain biking industry.

The Study:
As a participant, you will be asked to answer a series of questions in the form(s) of multiple choice, yes/no and short answer. The questions will address your demographic, involvement in mountain biking, and your perspective of women in the sport. Participation will take approximately 10 minutes of your time.

Potential Benefits & Risks:
This study is intended to direct the fabrication of a new product, whose goal is to create a place that will keep the women's mountain biking community across the country connected and informed, as well as help make mountain biking more accessible to women. There is no individual benefit involved.

There are minimal risks associated with participation in this study. There is a potential risk that participant may feel uncomfortable with a question. If that occurs participant can skip a question, or stop the survey at any time. The Tri-Council Policy Statement defines Minimal Risk as follows: "if the potential subjects can reasonably be expected to regard the probability and magnitude of possible harms implied by participation in the research to be no greater than those encountered in those aspects of his or her everyday life that relate to the research, then the research can be regarded as within the range of minimal risk."

Confidentiality:
All data collected will remain confidential; names of study participants will not be collected, nor identified. Study results and questionnaires will be kept in a locked cabinet upon submission when not in use for analysis by the principal investigator. Data will be kept for up to one year, after which time the data will be destroyed. Access to this data will be restricted to the principal investigator, and faculty supervisor.

Voluntary Participation:
Participation in this study is voluntary. If you wish, you may decline to answer any questions or participate in any component of the study. Further, you may decide to withdraw from this study at any time, or to request withdrawal of your data prior to data analysis (Feb.10, 2011) and you may do so without any penalty or loss of benefits to which you are entitled.

Publication of Results:
Results of this study may be published in reports, students theses, and/or presentations to conferences and colloquia. In any publication, data will be presented in aggregate forms. Quotations from interviews or surveys will not be attributed to you without your permission. Images of you will not be published without your permission.

Feedback about this study will be available from Ashley Turk at aturk@ecuad after April 21, 2011 for up to one year.

Contact Information & Ethics Clearance:
If you have any questions about this study or require further information, please contact the Principal Investigator or the Faculty Supervisor (where applicable) using the contact information provided above. This study has been reviewed and received ethics clearance through the Research Ethics Board at the Emily Carr University of Art and Design [DESN 420: 2010092807]. If you have any comments or concerns, please contact the Office of Research & Industry Liaison at ORIL@ecuad.ca

Consent Form:
I agree to participate in this study described above. I have made this decision based on the information I have read in the Information-Consent Letter. I have had the opportunity to receive ay additional details I wanted about the study and understand that I may ask questions in the future. I understand that I may withdraw this consent at any time.

Thank you for your participation in this project.

*Please only continue with survey if you are a female and you mountain biking.

Please type I AGREE below to continue *This question is required.

Women in Mountain Biking

Women in Mountain Biking - Consent Form