Youth & Nature

Invitation

You are being invited to consider taking part in the research study of ‘The Geographies of Climate and Ecological Emergencies – Sustainable communities and youth for nature’s recovery in Staffordshire’. This project is being undertaken by Alana Wheat and supervised by Dr Deirdre McKay at Keele University. 

Before you decide whether you wish to take part, it is important for you to understand why this research is being done and what it will involve. Please take time to read this information carefully and discuss it with friends and relatives if you wish. Please ask the researcher if there is anything that is unclear or for more information. Please take time to consider whether you wish to participate.

How can I share your work with others?

Please share the website link (www.AlanaWheat.com) with others, it will be fantastic to get as many people engaged with the project as possible.

Do I have to take part?

No, taking part in the research is completely voluntary.

I am under the age of 18, can I still take part?

If you are in the age of 16 to 24, you may take part in the ‘youth’ questionnaire. 

If you are aged 16-17, please talk about the research with your parent or guardian before taking part. 

What are the risks of taking part?

There are no expected risks to your participation. However, if any problems were to arise during the research activity or if you find any problems on the website, please contact the researcher.

Please note, that the data collected will be anonymous however, participants may be recognised through their uniqueness. For example, if the participant were to take part in activities at Keele, such as Keele Hedgehog Friendly Campus then the location of Keele part is important to their response. Pseudonyms (a fake name) will be used where possible to reduce the risk of this. Please note that pseudonyms may not work, and you may be identifiable due to coincidence, for example, if you were called ‘Al’ and the researcher pseudonym you to ‘Al’ coincidentally without knowledge.

Submitting the questionnaire would be granting the consents which are clearly listed out. If you do not consent, you should not submit the questionnaire.

How will information collected be used?

The responses will be anonymised upon collection, then used for the dissertation research project which is part of the researcher’s MA Masters degree in Geographical and Environmental Research as part of program requirements.

Any data collected will only be accessed by the researcher and the dissertation supervisor. The published data in the dissertation and the whole data set may potentially be used for further academic research writing to do with the project.

Once the dissertation is marked, the dissertation may be shared with other organisations as relevant.

Who is funding and organising the research?

The research is self-funded by the researcher.

What happens next?

If you would like to participate in this research project, please continue with the relevant questionnaires. You will be asked to fill out a consent form at the beginning of the questionnaire.

Why have I been invited? Why should I take part?

If you are aged between 16-24 it would be great if you could take part and contribute towards the research. This will help to contribute towards the academic field of Human Geography, youth, and climate change!

There is opportunity for the research to be used amongst communities to develop networks and community resilience, as well as increasing connections and collaborations between local voices and places.

What will happen if I take part?

Your responses are anonymous and will not be traceable back to you. Whilst filling in the questionnaire you can stop and not submit your responses. Once submitted, your responses will be anonymous.

What are the benefits of taking part?

Although you may not personally derive direct or immediate benefits, you get the opportunity to voice your views and opinions on what it is like to be a young person and your involvement in the community. This data set will hopefully benefit the fields of climate change geographies and investigate interactions with you, the environment, and the community. The published research may be used for future research and for insight on how communities can improve their engagement with young people and strive towards a sustainable future.

Lockdown Measures

Please ensure that all lockdown measures and government guidelines are always followed during the COVID-19 pandemic. For current government updates; https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus

You should not need to leave the comfort of your own home to fill in this questionnaire.

Will any personal data be collected?

The only personal data collected is your age group and gender to help with the analysis of the results. This will be confidential, stored securely, and will be used if you are quoted using a pseudonym  for example, “I took part in a local gardening project” Dale (Male, 20). If you do not wish to submit this information you can leave the questions blank.

Where will the information be stored and how long will it be kept for?

All the materials will remain digital and stored on a password protected computer. The whole dataset may potentially be used for further academic research writing to do with the project. In accordance with Keele University’s data management policy, data will be kept for a minimum for 10 years after it has been collected. 

The final research project is expected to be completed by the 1st September 2021 and submitted as a dissertation to the School of Geography, Geology and the Environment at Keele University.

What if there is a problem?

If you have a concern about any aspect of this study, you may wish to speak to the researcher, Alana Wheat - w8h07@students.keele.ac.uk, who will do their best to answer your questions. Alternatively, if you do not wish to contact the researcher you may contact Dr Deirdre McKay - https://www.keele.ac.uk/gge/ourpeople/deirdremckay/.

If you remain unhappy about the research and/or wish to raise a complaint about any aspect of the way that you have been approached or treated during the course of the study please write to the University’s contact for complaints regarding research at the following address: Research Integrity Team Directorate of Research, Innovation and Engagement IC2 Building, Keele University ST5 5NE. E-mail: research.governance@keele.ac.uk