Subject Information Sheet
1. PROJECT TITLE

Contemporary NI: A study on the Current Social Formation of Young People In Northern Ireland
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2. INVITATION

You are being invited to take part in a research study which contributes to the PhD research project in the field of Communication, Media and Cultural Studies at Ulster University. Before you decide whether or not to take part, it is important that you understand what the research is for and what you will be asked to do. Please read the following information and do not hesitate to ask any questions about anything that might not be clear to you. Make sure that you are happy before you decide what to do. Thank you for taking the time to consider this invitation.
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3. PURPOSE

The purpose of this study is to learn about what shapes the identities of young people in contemporary Northern Ireland. The researcher seeks to learn what is important in young peoples’ lives and how they may have shaped them to be the person they are today.
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4. WHY HAVE I BEEN CHOSEN?

You are being asked to take part in this research study because you are 18-25 years old and are registered at a Further Education College in Northern Ireland.
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5. DO I HAVE TO TAKE PART?

It is up to you to decide whether or not to take part. If you do decide to take part, you will be given this information sheet to keep. You will also be asked to sign a consent form. If you choose to take part, you can change your mind at any time and withdraw from the study without giving a reason.
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6. WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO?

Your participation in this study will take about 1 hour. It will be broken into three sections lasting one hour in total. These are detailed below. We expect that 10 people will take part in the research study. You must be at least 18 years old to participate. If you are younger than 18 years old, please stop now.



Section A - Questionnaire - 5 Minutes

The first section requires you to fill out a short questionnaire about yourself. You do not need to write your name on the form. You can choose not to answer any question you do not wish to answer.
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Section B - Collage - 30 Minutes 

The first section requires you to make a digital collage about your identity - this requires use of a computer with a software where you can produce a montage of images (such as Photoshop, Word, Powerpoint or whatever you prefer to use). Claudia (the researcher) will require a copy of your completed collage when you are finished. The collages will be published with false names to protect your privacy.
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Section C - Focus Group - 25 Minutes

The second section will be a focus group - where Claudia will ask some questions about the completed digital collages in a group setting. This session will be recorded as an audio-file and some notes may be jotted down by Claudia for evidence of data collection for the study. You can choose not to answer any questions you do not wish to answer. All responses will be documented anonymously.
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7. ARE THERE ANY RISKS AND DISADVANTAGES IN TAKING PART?

Talking about your identity may be upsetting/uncomfortable for you to share. You do not need to include particular parts of your identity in your collage if you prefer to keep it private from others. You are free to stop creating the collage or leave the interview at any time. You have the right to ask that any data you have supplied to that point be withdrawn/destroyed.
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8. ANY POSSIBLE BENEFITS IN TAKING PART?

As a participant in this research study, there may not be any direct benefit for you; however, information from this study may benefit other people now or in the future.
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9. WHAT IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG?

It is very likely that anything will go wrong during the study. A risk assessment has been completed to control safety measures whilst in the computer classroom. The University has procedures in place for reporting, investigating, recording and handling adverse events. Subjects should be informed that any complaints will be taken seriously. Contact details are included at the end of this document.
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10. WILL MY TAKING PART IN THE STUDY BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL?

All research material gathered throughout the course of the study will be stored as they may hold significant value for ongoing or future studies. Your signed consent form, filled-in questionnaires, completed collages, interview soundbites, interview transcripts and study results will be safely documented and stored electronically in password-protected folders on a secure University-based personal computer, plus a secure online server for back-up. The completed collages and transcript from the interview will be published as a printed publication, but your name will be removed/ changed to protect your privacy.
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11. WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY?

The results will be published as a printed thesis publication, and may also appear online. The results may lead to further research about young people, popular culture, collage practice and/or Northern Ireland in the future.
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12. WHO IS ORGANISING AND FUNDING THE RESEARCH?

The Department for the Economy (DfE) Postgraduate Studentship is funding this study.
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13. WHO HAS REVIEWED THIS STUDY? 

This study has been reviewed and approved by an ethics review committee in accordance with the University. You can contact the University Research Governance section for further details if you require them. 

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Thank you for reading this information.
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