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FEMALE PASTORS BURNOUT STUDY

INFORMED CONSENT FORM

Introduction

The title of this research study is Understanding Burnout Among Female Pastoral Leaders: A Qualitative Descriptive Approach.

I am Candice Villafana, a doctoral student under the supervision of Dr. Richard Whitehead in the College of Doctoral Studies at Grand Canyon University.

There is a shortage of knowledge to address the burnout concerns of female pastors because it has mostly been studied from a male perspective. In this study, female pastors discuss their burnout experiences.

Key Information

This document defines the terms and conditions for consenting to participate in this research study.

How do I know if I can be in this study?

o You can participate in this study if you:
  • Are age 21 or older
  • Are female from birth
  • Served as a pastor, or co-pastor, in the same church as your spouse
  • Have served for at least one year as pastor of a Christian, nondenominational church
  • Have pastored through burnout, emotional exhaustion, or long-term stress
  • Served as a pastor in any of these states: Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington D.C., West Virginia, Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, or Texas
o You cannot participate in this study if you:
  • Are under age 21
  • Were born male
  • Have never served as a pastor with your spouse
  • You haven’t been a pastor for one year or more
  • Have never been burnt out, emotionally exhausted, or stressed out as a pastor
  • You did not pastor in any of the Southern states listed above
Research Activities: What am I being asked to do?
If you agree to be in this study, you will be asked to take part in the following activities:

o What?

If you participate in this study, you will be asked to take part in the following activities:
  • Online Questionnaire from your computer or mobile device (15-minutes)
  • Self-Schedule an Interview on the private Study Calendar (5-minutes)
  • One-on-one audio recorded Zoom interview (45-60 minutes)
  • Review an email with your transcribed interview (10-minutes)
o When?

The research activities will take place within the 3rd quarter of 2025 and the 2nd quarter of 2026.

o Where?

A phone call will be conducted by telephone, an interview will be conducted by Zoom, and the questionnaire will be completed online using the participant’s computer or mobile device.

o How?

During the phone call, no research data will be collected. In the interview, Zoom's secure audio conferencing system will be used to obtain research data. Survey Monkey will be used to collect research data from questionnaires via a secure online platform.
o Audio Recording:

I will use the audio recording feature of Zoom to record your responses. You cannot participate if you do not wish to be recorded. Since the audio interview will be private, each participant’s identity will be protected, and the researcher will lock each meeting via Zoom after the participant has joined. The participant will attend the meeting from a private location. Audio files from the interview will be stored on Zoom’s password-protected platform with encryption. The privacy policy is at https://explore.zoom.us/docs/ent/privacy-and-security.html.

Who will have access to my data/information?
I will have access to all of your data and information. In addition, my dissertation chair, committee members, and all College of Doctoral Studies Reviewers may view your information and your answers as part of the dissertation review process.

Am I required to participate in this study?
Your participation in this study is completely voluntary. After reading this informed consent, you can decide whether to participate in this study or not. Also, if you choose to participate and then change your mind, you can leave the study at any time, even if you have not finished, without any penalty or loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. If you decide to stop participation, you may do so by sending an email to the researcher at cvillafana@my.gcu.edu stating that you are withdrawing from participation in the study. If so, I will use the information that I collected from you before you chose to stop.

Any possible risks or discomforts?
There are no foreseeable risks or discomforts associated with this study.

Any direct benefits for me?
No.

Any paid compensation or incentives for my time?
Compensation is available in two forms. Upon completion of a preliminary phone call, an online questionnaire, and an interview, participants will receive a $30 gift card via email within one week. After the study is complete, a drawing for a $50 digital gift card will be held within 30 days. Each time the study link (pastorsletter.burnout-research.us) is shared with a female pastoral colleague, email cvillafana@my.gcu.edu with the subject "Study shared" to enter the drawing. There is no limit on how many entries you can submit until the study is full. A congratulatory email will be sent only to the drawing winner to maintain privacy.

Presentation of Information Collected

The research data will be presented via publication as a dissertation in ProQuest.

Privacy and Data Security

Will researchers ever be able to link my data/responses back to me?
Yes.
Will my initial data include information that can identify me (names, addresses, or other identifying material, such as audio, specific demographics, etc.)?
Yes.

Will researchers assign my data/responses a research ID code to use instead of my name?
Yes.

If yes, how will researchers create a list to link names with their research ID codes?
I will assign a code to identify all participants in all written documents. The key will be kept on a password protected computer.

If yes, how will researchers secure the link of names and research ID codes? How long will the link be kept? Who has access? What is the approximate destruction date?
I will assign a code to identify all participants in all written documents. The key will be kept on a password protected computer. The approved GCU research team has access to all files. The approximate destruction date is after December 2027

How and where will my data be protected (electronic and hardcopy)?
I will assign a code to identify all participants in all written documents. The key will be kept on a password protected computer.

Will artificial intelligence (AI) software be used?
For enhanced research efficiency, artificial intelligence (AI) software may be utilized to analyze collected data and may involve the de-identified exchange of some personal or sensitive information. The data will not be disclosed in a way that could identify you.

How long will the data be kept in the protected space?
All data will be destroyed after December 2030.

Who will have access to the protected data?
I will have access to all of your data and information. In addition, my dissertation chair, committee members, and all College of Doctoral Studies Reviewers may view your information and your answers as part of the dissertation review process.

What is the privacy policy for survey platforms (Survey Monkey, Qualtrics, mTurk, Google, etc.), any recording software (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc.), interview software, survey software, artificial intelligence software, or transcription software companies?
  • Zoom will be used for audio recording. The privacy policy is at https://explore.zoom.us/docs/ent/privacy-and-security.html
  • Otter.ai will be used to transcribe. The privacy policy is at https://otter.ai/privacy-security
  • Survey Monkey will be used for collecting responses. The privacy policy is at https://www.surveymonkey.com/mp/legal/privacy
Where and how will the signed informed consent forms be secured?
All consents will be kept on a password protected computer.
Future Research

Once identifiers, including name, email, and phone number, are removed from the data collected for this study, the de-identified information could be used for future research studies or distributed to other investigators for future research studies without additional informed consent from you or your legally authorized representative.

Study Contacts
Any questions you have concerning the research study or your participation in the study, before or after your informed consent, will be answered by the principal researcher, Candice Villafana, cvillafana@my.gcu.edu, ‪(301) 478-6221.

If you have questions about your rights as a subject/participant in this research, or if you feel you have been placed at risk, you can contact the Chair of the Human Subjects Institutional Review Board through the College of Doctoral Studies at IRB@gcu.edu, (602) 639-7804.

Voluntary Consent

Participant Rights
  • You have been given an opportunity to read and discuss the informed consent and ask questions about this study.
  • You have been given enough time to consider whether or not you want to participate.
  • You have read and understand the terms and conditions and agree to take part in this research study.
  • You understand your participation is voluntary and that you may stop participation at any time without penalty.
1.Your electronic signature means that you understand your rights listed above and agree to participate in this study.

Your typed name serves as your electronic signature. Type your full name (first and last name) in the area provided.

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