Thank you for your interest in this research project. Your time and help are truly appreciated. This document provides information on the research, what you can expect, and how the data will be handled and used in the future. If anything is unclear or you want more information, please feel free to ask any question you wish. Our contact details are at the end of this information page.
The purpose of this short survey* is to explore the network of individuals and organizations involved in all aspects of fisheries across the Lake Superior region (including the Canadian and US sides of the Lake) from harvesting, processing, transportation, distribution, marketing, retail, consumption and waste, as well as policy, research, and management. Mapping these relationships is a way to understand the network of organizations and institutions involved with fisheries and to help build collective action towards more sustainable fisheries for the region.
The research is being conducted by researchers from Lakehead University and Brandon University. This research is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. The information collected from the survey will be separated from your identifying details and made anonymous (i.e. it will not be attributed to you) before being used in any outputs from the research including reports, articles, and conference presentations.
Your participation is completely voluntary. While there are very few perceived risks from participating in this survey, we recognize that some questions could reveal sensitive information and you may not want certain details made available to others. You can withdraw from the research at any time, and you can decline to answer any of the questions without any negative consequences for yourself or your organization. We invite you to respond only to the questions you feel comfortable answering. If you choose to withdraw after your data has been included in a publication, only that data which has not already been published in the public domain will be removed from subsequent research. The final research results will be shared through a variety of methods including a knowledge-sharing workshop in the Lake Superior region, as well as in academic publications and conference presentations. Summary pages can be requested at any time by contacting the researchers directly (see below).
Only the academic members of the research team will have access to the raw survey data. All raw data will be stored on password protected computers for a minimum of five years following completion of the research.
This study has been approved by the Lakehead University Research Ethics Board. If you have any questions related to the ethics of the research and would like to speak to someone outside of the research team please contact Sue Wright at the Research Ethics Board at 807-343-8283 or research@lakeheadu.ca.
If you have further questions about these processes or feel uncomfortable with any aspect of them, please let us know as soon as possible.
By clicking Next you are indicating your consent to participate in this survey.
Charles Z. Levkoe
Department of Health Sciences, Lakehead University
t. 807-346-7954; e. clevkoe@lakeheadu.ca
Kristen Lowitt
Department of Geography and Environment, Brandon University
e. lowittk@brandonu.ca
*Please note that the online survey tool used in the study, Survey Monkey, is hosted by a server located in the USA. The U.S. Patriot Act permits U.S. law enforcement officials, for the purpose of anti-terrorism investigation
