Application to Participate In Friendship Research Study

Information Sheet for Research Questionnaire
Title of Research Study:
 “The Friendship Project”

PARTICIPANT INFORMATION SHEET

Your Role

You are invited to take part in a research study to examine how friendships are formed, sustained, deepened, and dissolved.  You will be asked to respond to structured questions about your friendship experiences and the practices which have shaped them.

The Outcome

This research is designed to inform a series of resources including a research report, blog articles, and books and other training materials which aim to help people strengthen their friendships.

Your Rights

Please take time to read the following information and discuss it with others if you wish. If you decide to take part, you will be asked to sign the consent form below and, if you wish, print a copy for your records. You can change your mind at any time and withdraw from the study without giving a reason.

The Purpose

The purpose of the research study is to explore your experience with making, sustaining, deepening, and ending friendships. I would like to ask questions about your experiences, thoughts, and feelings about friendship, as well as events, places, and people connected with your experience.

The Study

This is an application to participate in Part 2 of this study.

Part 1 of this study will involve a minimum of 200 participants, who will all be interviewed separately. The interview will take approximately 1-2 hours and will be digitally recorded, as well as transcribed. If you choose to take part I will arrange a time and platform for the interview that is convenient for you. This may be in person, by phone, or via Skype/Google+ (online video conferencing). You will also be sent several simple pre-interview questions to help you prepare for the interview.

Part 2 of this study will involve a minimum of 1,000 participants, who will complete surveys containing 40-50 structured questions. Survey completion will take approximately 45 minutes. This survey aims to validate my research by cross verifying findings from the qualitative interviews. The practice of combining multiple methods to gather data, called "methodology triangulation," is designed to increase a study's credibility and validity.

The information gained from this research will be used to offer insights about how to form, sustain, deepen, and end friendships. The results of the study may also lead to further studies into the role of neighborhood, community, and civic relationships.

Risks

Depending on your story, talking about your friendship experiences could become upsetting for you. In this event, you are free to stop the interview at any time if you do not wish it to continue. If the interview upsets you and you feel you would like to seek additional support related to friendship after the interview, I would be happy to advise you of further community resources and websites which may be of assistance to you.

Benefits

There is no financial or other compensation offered in exchange for your participation.

Data Use & Storage

Questionnaire responses will be digitally submitted and then transferred onto a computer. The digital files will be stored on an external hard drive in a locked secure place at all times. The digital recordings will be destroyed at the end of the study. Your response will be treated with full confidentiality and anyone who takes part in the research will be identified only by fictional names. If mentioned in any writing, both names and identifying information will be altered to protect the identity of participants. The interviews will be analyzed by myself using computer software. At the end of the research I will write a report and the results may be published in peer reviewed journals, online research reports, blog posts, books, training or coaching materials, and/or conference presentations. No research participant will be identifiable in any of these resources.

Special Thanks

Special thanks to Linda Kraus, PhD and Bethany Stolle of Stolle Creative who consulted on portions of this project along with advisors from a peer review board consisting of 18 professionals representing a variety of backgrounds and fields.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or need further information.

Sincerely,

Sarah Raymond Cunningham
sarahraymondcunningham [at] gmail [dot] com