CAS Web Survey Consent Notice and Form

CONSENT TO PARTICIPATE IN AN ONLINE RESEARCH SURVEY

The College of Arts and Sciences, University at Buffalo asks you to participate in an General Website Survey.

PURPOSE/INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this online survey is to gather data from UB CAS faculty, staff, alumni, and students regarding the usability of the CAS main website. The questions on the survey will ask you to identify what you like and dislike about the CAS main website and indicate how it could be improved. We plan to use the information from the survey to improve the main CAS website.

SUBJECTS

We are asking about 500 faculty, alumni, and students in CAS to participate.

PROCEDURES

If you choose to participate, you will be asked to complete an online survey that will take about 15 minutes to complete. This survey will ask questions regarding your characteristics (faculty, alumni, student), preferences in a website, and how to make websites more user-friendly. If there are any questions that you prefer not to answer, you are free not to answer them.

RISKS

There are no known risks identified with this research.

BENEFITS

There are no direct benefits to you as a participant in this study. It is anticipated, however, that your participation will help us improve websites here in CAS.

CONFIDENTIALITY

Your confidentiality will be strictly protected. All of the data will be sent back to the principal investigator via a secure database that will categorize participant responses in a manner that is not personally identifiable.

COSTS/COMPENSATION

There will be no cost to you, however if you choose to submit your name and email address, you are eligible to receive one of ten UB CAS t-shirts or one of twenty bags filled with cool UB CAS stuff (drawn at random) as compensation for participating in this study.

RIGHT TO REFUSE OR WITHDRAW

You may refuse to participate or withdraw from the study at any time without penalty or negative impact. You may end your participation by logging off the survey or closing your Internet browser.

QUESTIONS

If you have any questions contact Christine Kowalski, Web Design Specialist in CAS, Principle Investigator, at cmk22@buffalo.edu or her faculty sponsor, Brant Kresovich, Senior Staff Assistant for Graduate Studies/Human Subjects in the College of Arts and Sciences, at bmk4@buffalo.edu. If you have questions about this online survey, contact us at (716) 645-2711.

The Social and Behavioral Sciences Institutional Review Board at the University at Buffalo has reviewed this study. If you have questions about your rights as a research participant in this study, please contact the SBSIRB at (716) 645-6474.

PRIZES FOR PARTICIPATION

By submitting your name and email address you understand that your survey responses will NOT be stored with to your contact information, but rather separately, and used to communicate with you only in the event that your name was randomly selected to receive one of ten UB CAS t-shirts or one of twenty bags filled with cool UB CAS stuff.

AGREE TO PARTICIPATE

Checking on the Agreement Box below indicates that you have decided to participate in this research project, and that you meet the criteria for participation as explained above. Clicking on the Agree Box also indicates that you have read, you understand, and you are able to print a copy of this consent form.

Today's date: Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009 -- 14:05 PM

You are free to print a copy of this consent form for your records before proceeding.