Participant information
What is the purpose of the study?
This studies purpose is to identify whether athlete endorsements is a useful tool that is used by sporting brands, by viewing what the consumers of these products think of athletes endorsing football boots and whether they would buy a specific football boot purely because their favourite Athlete endorses the football boot, or whether other factors alter their decision.
Why have I been selected to take part?
You meet the inclusion criteria for the study which is focused on participants who participate in football and purchase football boots.
Do I have to take part?
You are under no obligation to take part and you will not experience any loss of benefit or penalty if you choose not to participate. The researcher will be available to contact if you have any concerns over the study.
What will I have to do?
As the participate you will be required to answer a 17 question questionnaire which will take approximately 10 minutes, once you have filled in the questionnaire you will save it and then your results will be then sent to the researcher.
What are the exclusion criteria (i.e. are there any reasons why I should not take part)?
You should not take part in this study if:
You do not meet the study inclusion criteria
You are currently suffering or recovering from, or are predisposed to any medical condition or illness that prevents you from safely undertaking the activities specified in the section above without exposing you to greater risk than you normally experience in usual daily activities.
What are the possible disadvantages and risks of taking part?
This study will not need any physical activity therefore you shall not incur any injuries from the study.
Will my participation involve any psychological discomfort or embarrassment?
The questions that are being asked, are not personal.
Will I have to provide any bodily samples (e.g. blood, saliva)?
No biological samples will be needed.
Will my taking part be confidential?
Yes. You will be allocated a participant code that will always be used to identify any data that you provide. Your name or other personal details will not be associated with your data, for example the consent form that you sign will be kept separate from your data.
Only the researcher will have access to any identifiable information; paper records will be stored in a locked filing cabinet and electronic information will be stored on a password-protected computer. This will be kept separate from any data and will be treated in accordance with the Data Protection Act.
Who will have access to the information that I provide?
Any information and data gathered during this research study will only be available to the researcher identified in the information sheet. Should the research be presented or published in any form, then that information will be generalized (i.e. your personal information or data will not be identifiable).
What will happen to the results of the study?
The results will be used in the formation of an undergraduate thesis that will be examined as part of an undergraduate degree. Occasionally, some results might be presented at a conference or published in a journal but they will always remain anonymous.
All information and data gathered during this research will be stored in line with the Data Protection Act and will be destroyed after a maximum of 3 years following the conclusion of the study. During that time the data may be used of the researcher only for purposes appropriate to the research question, but at no point will your personal information or data be revealed.
Who has reviewed the study?
The study and its protocol has received full ethical approval from the Department of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation undergraduate ethics system. If you require confirmation of this please contact the chair of undergraduate ethics using the details below and stating the full title and principal investigator of the study:
Dr Mick Wilkinson
Department of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation
Northumbria University
Northumberland Road
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
NE1 8ST
0191 243 7097
mic.wilkinson@northumbria.ac.ukWill I receive any financial rewards / travel expenses for taking part?
No financial rewards will be given.
How can I withdraw from the project?
The research you will take part in will be most valuable if few people withdraw from it, so please discuss any concerns you might have with the investigator. During the study itself, if you do decide that you do not wish to take any further part then please inform the researcher as soon as possible and they will facilitate your withdrawal and discuss with you how you would like your data to be treated in the future. After you have completed the research you can still withdraw your data by contacting one of the research team (their contact details are provided in the last section of this form below), give them your participant number or if you have lost this give, them your name.
If, for any reason, you wish to withdraw your data please contact the investigator within a month of your participation. After this date, it might not be possible to withdraw your individual data as the results might already have been published. As all data are anonymous, your individual data will not be identifiable in any way.
What happens if there is a problem?
If you are unhappy about anything during or after your participation, you should contact the principal investigator in the first instance. If you feel this is not appropriate, you should contact the Chair of ethics for Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Dr Mick Wilkinson via the contact details given above.
Who is funding and organising the study?
This study has not received any funding
If I require further information who should I contact and how?
The investigator of this study and his contact details are as seen below:
Peter Bowling
93 Osborne Avenue
Jesmond
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE2 1JT
07585559618
peter.bowling@northumbria.ac.uk 