Participation Information Sheet

Invitation
This investigation is a part of my Independent Study within Psychology. I would like to invite you to participate in this study, however before you decide, it is important that you understand the context of the research and why it is being done. You may speak to others about the research and you are encouraged to contact the Researcher with any questions you may have.

What is the purpose of the study?
The aim is to investigate whether personality trait characteristics are predictors of participation in contact and no contact team and individual sports.

Why have I been invited to take part?
You have been invited to participate in this research because you partake in a sport whilst being a student at the University of Worcester. I am hoping to recruit a minimum of 100 participants for this study.

Do I have to take part?
You do not have to participate in this study. You can decide to decline the invitation to participate or withdraw from the study at any point up until 28 days after taking part. If you wish to withdraw your data from the study, please contact the Researcher with your assigned participant number and your data will not be used and can be returned to you if you desire. If you decide to participate, you will be asked to complete a consent form following reading this information sheet.

What will happen to me if I agree to participate?
If you agree to take part in this study you will be required to complete two questionnaires. The first questionnaire will be based around personality and the second will ask for some general information such as age and what sport you participate in, for example rugby. The research will take no longer than 20 minutes and will be completed online or during a training session. Data from the questionnaires will be stored in a password protected folder which only the Researcher has access to.

Are there any disadvantages/risks to taking part?
There are no risks or disadvantages to taking part in this study. However please remember that you are free to withdraw at any point without penalty. This can be done by simply closing your web browser.

Will the information I give stay confidential?
Everything you say/report is confidential and may be used for a research report, but it will not be possible to identify you from our research report or any other dissemination activities. Personal identifiable information (e.g. name and contact details) will be securely stored and kept for up to one calendar month after the project ends in June 2015 and then securely disposed of. The research data (e.g. completed questionnaires) will be securely stored and may be used for further research purposes.

What will happen to the results of the research study?
This research is being carried out as part of my Independent Study for Psychology at the University of Worcester. The findings of this study will be reported as part of my Independent Study and may also be published in academic journals or at conferences. If you wish to receive a summary of the research findings please contact the Researcher. Additionally, the results will be destroyed after three calendar months following the submission of the Independent Study.

Who is organising the research?
This research has been approved by the University of Worcester Institute of Health Ethics Committee.

Thank you for taking the time to read this information.

If you decide to take part, if you have any questions, concerns or complaints about this study please contact one of the research team using the details below.

Student Researcher: Rhianna Howes howr2_12@uni.worc.ac.uk
Supervisor: Daniel Farrelly d.farrelly@worc.ac.uk 

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