Dear participant,
Your participation in this study is entirely voluntary. You are free to discontinue participation at any time without providing any reason for your withdrawal. Your refusal to participate or your decision to withdraw will not result in any penalties.
These kinds of studies are necessary to gain new, reliable scientific knowledge. However, your consent to participate in the study is an indispensable prerequisite for us to conduct this study. Please take time to read the following information carefully.
You should only agree to participate:
1. If you have fully understood the type and procedure of the study,
2. If you are willing to give your consent to participate, and
3. If you are aware of your rights as a participant in this study.
What is the aim of the study?
The aim of this study is to test how having English as a second language affects online communication strategies and attitudes.
What does taking part in the study entail?
You will first complete the registration process and a short screening questionnaire, which will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Please note: Completing the screening does not guarantee an invitation to the main study. If you meet the inclusion criteria, you will receive the official study link via email within 10 days. The main study will take approximately 20 minutes to complete.
In the main study, you will complete the following tasks:
- Listen to a 6-9 minute podcast and answer a series of questions about it.
- Participate in an online chat with another participant to discuss the podcast. Our team ensures that at least one other participant will be online at the same time. However, it may take up to 1 minute to connect with another participant.
- Complete a short follow-up questionnaire.
What are the benefits of taking part in the study?
With your participation, you make a substantial contribution to scientific progress in studying the online communication strategies. This will aid in our understanding of the underlying processes that govern online communications, in a world that is increasingly online.
Are there any risks, discomfort or other side effects to be expected in partaking in the study?
Although participating in this study is associated with negligible or no risk, comparable to everyday life, a possible burden is the effort required to answer questions. Additionally, you will be asked to engage in an online chat with another participant, during which you may be required to either answer questions or rate another person's answers. During the course of the study, you will receive neither drugs nor other therapeutic procedures.
Should you nevertheless experience physical or other complaints during the course of the study, we ask you to inform the study team immediately.
Email: charlotte.schomburg@univie.ac.at
Does participation entail any other lifestyle implications or obligations?
Participation in the study is not associated with any effects on your lifestyle or obligations.
When will the study be terminated prematurely?
You can withdraw from this study at any time for personal reasons, without needing to provide an explanation, and without facing any disadvantages. Simply closing the browser window will end your participation, and you are not required to continue. Your data will be immediately deleted if you decide to terminate your participation.
Privacy Policy (Information obligations according to Art. 13 GDPR)
For what purposes are personal data processed?
We only collect your email address, which is the only personal information we gather. It is used solely to invite you to the main study “Investigating Attitudes and Online Communication Strategies in Second-Language English Speakers” and to contact you if you win the raffle. Your email will not be shared with anyone and will be securely stored on a password-protected computer.
Providing your email address is entirely voluntary and is the only personal information we collect. It will be used exclusively to invite you to the main study and contact you for the raffle. Your email will be stored securely on a password-protected system and will not be shared with third parties. Your responses will be anonymized and cannot be linked to your identity.
On what legal basis is personal data processed?
The legal basis for processing personal data is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a) GDPR (consent).
How long will personal data be processed/stored?
If, based on the screening, you are not eligible to participate, your data will be permanently deleted. If you are eligible to participate, the data from this survey will be deleted once your appointment for the main study has taken place. Data collected from you will initially be stored in a pseudonymized form. Pseudonymization means that, with the help of additional information (typically an identification key), it is possible to assign personal data to a specific individual (see Art. 4 para. 5 of the General Data Protection Regulation). Pseudonymized data is subject to data protection law. Once data collection is complete, the data will be fully anonymized. Anonymization means that it is permanently impossible to assign the data to any individual. For this reason, anonymized data is not subject to data protection laws. Only anonymized data will be shared or published with third parties.
Any data collected from you is stored electronically with password protection.
In order to invite you to the main part of the study, we will ask you to provide your email address. We will only use your email address to contact you to send you the main study link, and for the raffle. For data analysis purposes, we will delete your email address and process your answers in an anonymised form. To match the answers from the first survey with those from the second survey, we will also ask you to create a personalized study-ID code. The study-ID code is fully anonymous.
Are there any costs or compensation?
There are no costs for you for participating in this study. After completion of the main study, you will automatically enter a raffle/lottery for a chance to win a one €30 or €10 gift card for an establishment of your choosing (e.g., "Amazon"). The winner will be contacted via email and given the option to accept or decline the prize, in which case a new winner will be drawn. In total, three gift cards will be awarded to three randomly selected participants: one €30 gift card and two €10 gift cards.Once the raffle is concluded, all email addresses will be deleted.
What are my rights?
Providing personal data is voluntary. Consent to the processing of personal data can be revoked at any time in accordance with Art. 7 para. 3 GDPR, with the consequence that the personal data of the respective person will no longer be processed. Complete deletion of your data is possible for up to 6 months.
If you have any questions about the study or your rights as a participant, or if unexpected or adverse events occur during the study or after its completion, you can contact us at any time.
Email: charlotte.schomburg@univie.ac.at
