Dear Participant:
My name is Katrina D. Powell and I am a graduate student under the direction of Professor Nicole Roberts in the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences in the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences at Arizona State University (ASU).
I am conducting a research study among military spouses/partners to understand issues pertaining to military deployment. This research involves completing a set of questionnaires. On these questionnaires, we are interested in gathering information about your thoughts and feelings as they relate to your spouse or partner’s military deployment.
Your participation in this study is voluntary. You have the right not to answer any question, and to stop participating at any time. If you choose not to participate or to withdraw from the study at any time, there will be no penalty. You must be 18 years or older to participate in this study.
If you decide to participate, we expect the questionnaires will take approximately 35-45 minutes to complete. You can complete the survey on-line via Surveymonkey.com. You WILL NOT be able to go back in and finish the survey once you have exited. Please make sure you have allotted enough time to take the survey.
To thank you for participating in this study, you are invited to enter into a drawing to receive one of several prizes: a spa day, a $50 Target gift card, a camera or webcam, a gift certificate to a JC Penney photo studio for a family photo, or a certificate to Staples for a family calendar. Entry into the drawing is optional. At the end of the survey you will be asked if you would like to participate in the drawing. If so, you will be directed to another link where you would provide your contact information for this purpose only, therefore, your contact information would be kept separate from your questionnaires. Winners will be selected at random, and again, your contact information will not be linked to your questionnaire responses in any way. In addition, if you are interested, you can provide your contact information to the research team and a copy of the findings will be sent to you upon completion of this research. If you provide your contact information for this purpose, it will be kept separate from your questionnaires. Finally, although not necessarily of direct benefit to you, knowledge of family life among military spouses/partners before, during, and after deployment can help lead to interventions to manage the impact of deployment on relationships more effectively.
Responses will be anonymous. The results of this research study may be used in reports, presentations, and publications, but your name will not be known. All information will be presented in group form. Responses will be stored on a password protected computer that only the research team can access.
Should you experience problems or have questions while completing this survey, please contact the research team by email: Katrina.Powell@asu.edu or Nicole.A.Roberts@asu.edu, or leave a confidential message on our 24-hour lab voice mail: 602-543-4524 or 623-377-4595. At the beginning of the survey, you will be asked to put in a codename of your choice. This codename allows the research team to recognize your survey should you encounter difficulties during the survey. It will also allow your survey responses to remain anonymous. Please do not use your real name as your codename.
If you have any 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 ASU Office of Research Integrity and Assurance, at (480) 965-6788.
Completion of the questionnaires will be considered your consent to participate in this study.
Sincerely,
Katrina D. Powell, M.A.
Nicole Roberts, Ph.D.