*Note that the Behavioural Research Ethics Board at UBC has specific requirements for formatting and content. Please review their guidelines if your project is undergoing BREB review.
Purpose:
We would like to learn more about your experiences with [Course/intervention X]. A team of instructors [in the Faculty/Department of X] are developing resources/making changes for students related to [topic]. As this is a new area for all of us, your feedback is very valuable to help us determine what is and is not working and make changes for future offerings.
Details of the focus group:
Focus groups/interviews will be conducted and analyzed by [Name and position of person conducting interviews/focus groups and analyzing the data]. They will ask questions related to [topic for discussion during the session] and audio record the responses. The focus group/interview will take approximately [X minutes] to complete. Your participation is voluntary, and you may leave the focus group/interview at any time. Your responses will not impact your course grade. Any identifying information recorded in the session will be removed from transcripts and reports.
[For focus groups only:] Absolute anonymity cannot be guaranteed since other focus group participants will be present. We encourage all participants to refrain from sharing contents of the discussion outside of the focus group; however, we cannot control what other participants do with the information discussed.
Following the session, you will have seven days to contact the facilitator to revise or omit anything you said. Your course instructor will not have access to the recordings or transcripts of the focus groups, they will only see the completed analysis. [Alternatively: Your course instructor will only have access to the [de-identified/anonymized] transcripts after all course grades have been submitted.]
Incentive:
As a thank you for participating, at the end of the focus group, you will receive a $25 e-gift card from a selection of options. [Consider gift cards to the UBC bookstore, local coffeeshops, and grocery stores.]
Use of AI [If relevant]: The project team may use AI-assisted tools [Tool name and link to tool privacy information] for analysis, including data cleaning and preparation, thematic analysis and visualization. All identifying and demographic information will be removed before processing. Human review and oversight will be integrated throughout to ensure accuracy, quality, and integrity. [Tool name] runs on local computers, and inputted data will not be used for training [using the data for training is not allowed, as per UBC BREB guidelines].
Data privacy and dissemination:
Data will be securely stored on encrypted computers and shared between the project team members using Sharepoint/OneDrive, a secure storage tool. Instead of using names or any identifiable information, codes will be used to protect the identity of the participants. Aggregate data and/or [de-identified/anonymized] quotes may also be shared publicly, published in academic journals, and/or presented at scholarly conferences.
[If accurate]: There are no immediate benefits to you as a participant in the focus group/interview, but, in the future, others may benefit from your feedback. (Alternatively, describe immediate benefits to participants.)
Questions?
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact [Name and contact information of facilitator]. You may choose to withdraw your participation at any time without giving a reason and without any negative consequences.
[If undergoing BREB approval, add]: If you have any concerns or complaints about your rights as a research participant and/or your experiences while participating in this study, please contact the Research Participant Complaint Line in the UBC Office of Research Ethics at 604-822-8598, or e-mail RSIL@ors.ubc.ca, or call toll-free 1-877-822-8598.
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