You are invited to participate in a research study entitled, The Role of Computer-Mediated Communication in Knowledge Sharing within Communities of Practice. You were selected as a potential participant due to being a certified Applied Behavior Analysis professional within the US who participates in ABA professional communities, either online or in-person. Please read this form and ask any questions you may have before acting on this invitation to participate in the study.
This study is being conducted by Ms. Jazmine Everheart, a doctoral candidate at the University of the Cumberlands and has been approved by the UC Institutional Review Board (IRB).
Background Information:
The purpose of this study is to determine the roles of computer-mediated communication, individual and social/environmental factors in knowledge sharing within ABA professional communities. The study will involve approximately 370 participants.
Inclusion Criteria:
You may participate in this study if you:
§ a certified Applied Behavior Analysis professional.
§ participate in an ABA community of professionals, either online or in-person. This includes ABA social media groups, listservs, forums, and any other settings in which multiple ABA professionals gather (virtually or in-person) to discuss topics related to ABA.
§ are located within the US.
Procedures:
If you agree to be in this study, you will be asked to complete the survey beginning on page 2 of this document. The survey should take approximately 15-25 minutes to complete. This survey is comprised of 4 sections: a short demographics section, an ABA professional community section, a condensed personality inventory, and a collectivism inventory.
Voluntary Nature of the Study:
Your participation in this study is strictly voluntary. If you initially decide to participate, you are free to withdraw at any time later without affecting those relationships.
Risks and Benefits of Participation:
There is no more than minimal risk associated with participating in this study and there is no individual benefit to participation in the study. However, study findings may provide the overall benefit understanding of the roles of communities of practice, technology, individual, and social/environmental factors in knowledge sharing intention.
In the event you experience stress or anxiety during your participation in the study, you may terminate your participation at any time. You may refuse to answer any questions you consider invasive or stressful.
Compensation:
There will be no compensation provided for your participation in this study.
Recording: No recording of information will be used in this study.
Confidentiality:
No personally identifiable data will be collected in the study. Only your anonymous survey responses will be analyzed. In any report of this study that might be published, the researcher will not include any information that will make it possible to identify you. Research records will be securely stored and only accessible to the researcher.
Contacts and Questions:
The researcher conducting this study is Jazmine Everheart. The researcher’s faculty advisor is Mary.Lind@ucumberlands.edu. You may ask any questions you have related to the consent to participation. If you have questions later, you may contact them via jeverheart68285@ucumberlands.edu or the UC Institutional Review Board (IRB) office at irb@ucumberland.edu.