Participant Information 

You are being invited to participate in a research study.  Before you decide whether to participate, it is important for you to understand why the research is being done and what it will involve.  Please take the time to read the following information carefully and feel free to ask us if you would like more information or there is anything that you do not understand.  Please also feel free to discuss this with your friends, relatives and GP if you wish.  We would like to stress that you do not have to accept this invitation and should only agree to take part if you want to.

Thank you for reading this.

What is the purpose of the study?

There is limited large-scale research available about viewers interest in UK soap opera fashions. This is despite the launch of websites over the past decade revealing brand information of products seen within the latest episodes, and online discourse about soap characters’ clothing. Soap opera is also one of the few television genres that dresses its stars in everyday fashions which, due to its ongoing broadcast pattern of new episodes, viewers see on a continuous basis. Therefore, this project seeks to start to ask viewers to what extent they’re interested in the fashions seen within the genre, whether they use online sources to find out which brands stock the products characters appear in, and whether their relationship with a brand changes as a result of finding out this information.

Who we are approaching to take part in the study?

We are selecting individuals who watch any of the big four UK soap operas – Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale, Hollyoaks.

Do you have to take part?

Participation in this study is voluntary and if you take part you are able to withdraw at any time without any explanation and this would not cause any disadvantage to you.

What will happen if I take part?

This study comprises of a questionnaire which should take no longer than 30 minutes. All data from the questionnaire will be anonymised and stored in password protected files in a secure section of the UoL server. 

The researchers involved in this project is Louie Harding whose supervisors are Dr Craig Haslop and Dr Sarah Thomas.

Risks

There are no known risks to taking part in this study, however, if something in relation to the study causes you discomfort, or puts you at a disadvantage, you should let one of the researchers know immediately.

Benefits

You may benefit from sharing your experiences about finding out which brands stock products characters’ appear in.

Complaints

If you are unhappy, or if there is a problem, please feel free to let us know by contacting Louie Harding at L.G.Harding@liverpool.ac.uk or Dr Craig Haslop at chaslop@liverpool.ac.uk and we will try to help. If you remain unhappy or have a complaint which you feel you cannot come to us with then you should contact the Research Ethics and Integrity Office at ethics@liv.ac.uk. When contacting the Research Ethics and Integrity Office, please provide details of the name or description of the study (so that it can be identified), the researcher(s) involved, and the details of the complaint you wish to make.

Information about you

All data about you will remain confidential and will be anonymised for public use.  Any information provided that could provide a link to you will be removed from publicly available data.  Your data will be stored in password protected files in a secure part of the UoL server for no more than five years, when it will be deleted.  Only Louie Harding, Dr Craig Haslop and Dr Sarah Thomas will have access to the raw data. The anonymised data will form part of the research’s overall findings and will be made available to UoL.

Results

The result of the study will be published in reports to UoL and in academic journal articles and made available to all participants of the study should they wish to see them.  These results will be anonymised and participants will not be identifiable in the results.

Privacy and data protection

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How will my data be collected?

Your data will be collected through questionnaires and a potential follow up interview and observation.

How will my data be stored?

All data we collect from the project will be securely stored in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018. The transcripts for the interviews will be anonymised immediately after transcription and stored on a University password protected drive.

How long will my data be stored for?

Data will be stored for no more than five years then will be deleted.

What measures are in place to protect the security and confidentiality of my data?

We will not be collecting demographic data other than age, gender and the region of your residency. All personal identifying information including name and other details which might reveal a person’s name will be removed from the data. All transcripts will be stored in a password protected drive at the University.

Will my data be anonymised?

Yes all participant data will be anonymised and given pseudonyms in publicly available research findings and only the core research team will have access to raw and personal data.

How will my data be used?

Your data will be used to help us understand and theorise decisions taken by industry practitioners in the dressing of soap opera characters and sets, and how they are subsequently advertised on different media platforms. It will form part of journal articles and reports about the study.

Who will have access to my data?

Only the core research team will have access to the data.

Will my data be archived for use in other research projects in the future?

Your data will only be kept for 5 years at which point it will be deleted. It might appear in future projects based on publications produced before the five years deletion point.

How will my data be destroyed?

We will delete all files containing your data and shred any paper versions of transcripts.

Withdrawal

You are able to withdraw from this study at any time.  If you are happy, the results before you withdraw would be used.  If you are not happy for the data to be used, we will destroy your data and will not use it. 

Further Questions

If you would like to know more about the study please contact Louie Haring at  L.G.Harding@liverpool.ac.uk or Dr Craig Haslop at chaslop@liverpool.ac.uk

Further Support

If considering to or taking part in this research has raised any issues that you would like to talk about further then support is available through the mental health charity MIND. Contact details are below:

MIND Support line: 0300 102 1234

MIND Live chat https://mind.custhelp.com/app/chat/chat_launch/request_source/8/chat_data/cV9pZD0xJnJlZmVycmVyVXJsPWh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3Lm1pbmQub3JnLnVrJTJGaW5mb3JtYXRpb24tc3VwcG9ydCUyRmhlbHBsaW5lcyUyRg