Consent to Participate in Research

    Project Title: Activating Trans Masculine College Students’ Reflections on Campus Experiences, Masculinity, and Community-Building Through Long-Term Online Focus Groups
    Researchers: T.J. Jourian, Ph.D., Oakland University (Principal Investigator); Chase Catalano, Ph.D., Western Illinois University (co-Principal Investigator)
     
    Introduction:
    You are being recruited for a research study being conducted by T.J. Jourian and Chase Catalano if you are a current undergraduate or graduate student in the Greater Chicagoland area that self-identifies as trans masculine in some way, including but not exclusively as trans man, female-to-male, boi, Two Spirit, masculine-of-center, nonbinary, and so on.
     
    Please read this form carefully and ask any questions you may have before deciding whether to participate in the study.
     
    Purpose:
    The purpose of this research study is to explore the identity and community building processes of diverse trans masculine college students, and how those processes are mediated by online environments.
     
    Procedures:
    If you agree to be in the study and are selected, you will be asked to participate in two interviews lasting approximately 60-90 minutes each. The interviews will be audio-recorded and transcribed. There will be one interview at the beginning of the study and another about mid-way in the academic year (expected January or February).  Additionally, you will be asked to submit short video responses to bi-weekly prompt questions. The videos are expected to be 10 minutes or less. The videos will be uploaded to a YouTube channel restricted to the researchers and the participants of the study. Finally, you will be asked to participate in a focus group lasting approximately 60-90 minutes at the conclusion of the study. The focus group will be audio-recorded and transcribed. The results of the interviews, videos, and focus groups will be used to better understand how you build community and how you understand and define your identities.
     
    Risks/Benefits:
    There are minimal risks involved in participating in this research. For example, you may experience some discomfort responding to some of the questions and fellow participants will be aware of your participation.
     
    At the conclusion of the study, each participant will receive a $25 gift card.  Data gathered from this study will help include the voices and experiences of trans masculine students in the literature on masculinities, identity development, and community-building in higher education.  Participation in the study also offers the opportunity to reflect on one’s own journey, self-awareness, and identity, and to connect with other trans masculine college students in the greater Chicagoland area.
     
    Confidentiality:
    • Your responses will be kept confidential by applying pseudonyms to all responses, in lieu of actual names, when recording and reporting the information.
    • At no time will your participation in this research be revealed to anyone other than the researchers and fellow participants. Participants are asked to respect each other's confidentiality, however, this cannot be guaranteed by the researchers.
    • The audio recordings will only be kept and heard by the researchers, and upon conclusion of the study will be destroyed.
     
    Voluntary Participation:
    Participation in this study is voluntary.  If you do not wish to be in this study, you do not have to participate.  Even if you decide to participate, you are free not to answer any question or to withdraw from participation at any time without penalty. 
     
    Contacts and Questions:
    If you have questions about this research study, please feel free to contact:
    • T.J. Jourian at tjjourian@oakland.edu
    • Chase Catalano at c-catalano2@wiu.edu
    If you have questions about your rights as a research participant, you may contact the Oakland University IRB Office at (248) 370-2762.      
     
    Statement of Consent:
    Clicking on the "I Agree" button below indicates that you have read the information provided above, have had an opportunity to ask questions, and agree to participate in this research study. On the next page you will be asked to provide some demographic information to aid in the selection process. Should you be selected for the study, you will be sent an updated version of this consent form to sign and to keep for your records.
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About that asterisk: This website uses the asterisk (*) as a linguistic disruption of sorts that shifts the meaning of words to intentionally reference from a trans perspective (e.g., trans*form). In most cases, it is not used after the word "trans" as is becoming common in many spaces (see this article for an explanation of the etymology and meaning of trans*), except when directly cited or is part of an already published piece.  This is to honor the ongoing discussions and tensions amongst trans communities regarding the use/misuse of the asterisk. See, the following three articles to learn about some of these discussions and tensions: by Julia Serano, by the Trans Student Educational Resources, and by Practical Androgyny.