Dear Potential Survey Participant,
You are invited to participate in a study called “Best Practices in Search and Reunion in Adoption.” We hope to learn about what would improve current practices of those who assist in adoption search and reunion, in order to better help adopted people, members of birth/first and adoptive families, and others who embark on the process. You were selected as a possible participant in this study because you identify yourself as an adoption professional or other individual who assists in searches and/or reunions. We encourage participation by all who assist in conducting these efforts, including - but not limited to - search angels, professional searchers (including private detectives), social workers, genealogists, agency personnel, Internet specialists, lawyers, therapists, and counselors.
This study is being conducted by Amanda L. Baden, Ph.D., Associate Professor at Montclair State University and Senior Research Fellow of the Donaldson Adoption Institute and the Montclair State University Adoption Research Team (Elliotte Sue Harrington, MA, Andrew Kitchen, MA, and Jonathan Mazza, MA) in collaboration with the Donaldson Adoption Institute.
To protect respondents, the survey will be confidential and no identifying information will appear on the survey form. Furthermore, all information collected will be kept on a password-secure computer. Your completion and return of the questionnaire indicates your consent to participate.
If you decide to participate, please complete the following survey. Your completion of this survey indicates your consent to participate in this research study. The survey is designed to help improve the practices of adoption professionals and others who assist in adoption searches, and to add to the current understanding of how best to meet the needs of clients and others who wish to engage in effective search and reunion. The survey will take approximately 20 minutes to 30 minutes to complete. You will be asked questions about your specific training, practices, and attitudes. By using Survey Monkey, you have the option of beginning the survey and then returning to it at a later time. Just make sure that you access Survey Monkey using the same computer and browser. Survey Monkey will recognize your computer and allow you to continue where you left off previously.
No benefits accrue to you for answering the survey, but your responses will be used to inform future research and help shape training and practices in the area of adoption search and reunion. Data will be collected using the internet; no guarantees can be made regarding the interception of data sent via the internet by any third party (i.e. your employer). Confidentiality will be maintained to the degree permitted by the technology used.
We strongly advise that you do not use an employer issued device (laptop, smartphone, etc.) to respond to this survey.
Your decision whether or not to participate will not affect your future relationships with Montclair State University or the Donaldson Adoption Institute. If you decide to participate, you are free to stop at any time; you may also skip questions if you don’t want to answer them or may refuse to return the survey.
Please feel free to ask questions regarding this study. You may contact me if you have additional questions: Amanda Baden, Associate Professor, Counseling and Educational Leadership at Montclair State University, 973-655-7336; badena@mail.montclair.edu. Any questions about your rights as a research participant may be directed to Dr. Katrina Bulkley, Chair of the Institutional Review Board at Montclair State University at reviewboard@mail.montclair.edu or 973-655-5189.
This study has been approved by the Montclair State University Institutional Review Board as study #001411 on August 27, 2013.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Amanda Baden
Associate Professor
Counseling and Educational Leadership