7 minute read
Information Sheet
from Wellbeing in Buildings: Experimenting the effect of Biophilia in the Built Environment on Wellbeing
Appendix 1 - Information Sheet
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Participant Information Sheet for BENV0054 Students YOU WILL BE GIVEN A COPY OF THIS INFORMATION SHEET
Title of Study: Coursework for BENV0054 – Wellbeing in Buildings Experiment Department: UCL Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering Name and Contact Details of the Researcher(s): Students Name and Contact Details of the Principal Researcher: Dr Gesche Huebner
1. Invitation Paragraph
You are being invited to take part in an experiment, which forms the coursework for the module ‘Wellbeing in Buildings: Theory and Practice” (BENV0054) undertaken by post-graduate students pursuing a master’s degree at University College London. Before you decide to participate it is important for you to understand why the research is being done and what participation will involve. Please take time to read the following information carefully and discuss it with others if you wish. Do ask us if there is anything that is not clear or if you would like more information. Take time to decide whether you wish to take part.
2. What is the project’s purpose?
Design and conduct a pilot experiment investigating the impact of an element of the built environment on wellbeing. This is part of the coursework for the module: the experiment is designed and undertaken as a group, the data arising from the experiments is shared (in an anonymised format) within the group and is then utilised by each group member to write up the coursework submission which will include the introduction, method, results and discussion
3. Why have I been chosen?
As a student on the course, you can act as a subject in an experiment and also as an experimenter.
4. Do I have to take part?
It is up to you to decide whether or not to take part – participation to the study as a subject is fully voluntary. You are however, expected to conduct an experiment and write it up for your coursework. Choosing not to be a subject in the experiments does not affect in any way the coursework marks or performance. If you do decide to take part, you will be asked to sign a consent form. You can withdraw at any time without giving a reason and without it affecting your coursework mark.
5. What will happen to me if I take part?
You will be taking part in a repeated measures experiment that will last up to 3 hours. Please ensure that you do not drink any caffeinated drinks on the morning of the experiment – this is to minimise the effects that caffeine may have on your performance. Before the experiment begins, you will be asked to fill out a demographics, subjective environment and colour-blindness test. Before each experiment condition, you will also be asked to fill out a wellbeing questionnaire. When the experiment starts, participants will be asked to complete a set of cognitive performance and typing tasks at a desk under three different environment conditions. Once finished, you will be asked to fill out the wellbeing questionnaire again. You may not be told what changes are being made to the environment beforehand, however any change will be kept within safe levels. Some participants will have their heart rate measured using a wrist-worn device (like a smart watch).
Information gathered will be anonymised and gathered by the students overseeing the experiment and collected onto a secure database which will only be used for the purposes of this experiment.
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Measurements of the environmental parameters in the room such as temperature, air quality and noise will be taken.
6. Will I be recorded and how will the recorded media be used?
There is no intention to make video recordings, but occasional photos may be taken.
7. What data relevant to me will be gathered during the study?
Demographic, subjective environment, wellbeing and heart rate will be recorded and logged. The survey results and performance test results will all be captured and anonymously stored. The data gathered during the experiment will be used only for analysis in the coursework.
No personal data that would allow you to be identified will be collected, for example: name, nationality, age, gender, course.
8. How will my personal data be stored and protected
Each participant will be assigned a participant ID number, which will be used to store the data anonymously – only selected teaching staff (i.e. Module Lead, Dr Gesche Huebner and the PGT Assistants will know the identities of each participant ID. Where possible, the data will be kept within a small group of students that are managing the data and stored on a secure database for the duration of the experiment.
The anonymised data will be shared within the student group, so that it can be used for the purposes of the coursework report. No other use will be made of the data without your written permission, and no one outside the project will be allowed access to the data.
9. What are the possible disadvantages and risks of taking part?
There are no foreseen disadvantages or risks in taking part. Any unexpected discomforts, disadvantages or risks, which arise during the research should be brought immediately to the attention of the course lead.
10. What are the possible benefits of taking part?
Whilst there are no immediate personal benefits for those participating in the project, it is hoped that you will experience how it feels to participate in an experiment of this nature. By participating you may learn about how to improve such an experiment in the future. You will also learn about the process for acquiring participants.
11. What if something goes wrong?
In the first instance you should inform module lead, Gesche Huebner (g.huebner@ucl.ac.uk) and if needed the Programme Director Dr Helen Pineo (helen.pineo@ucl.ac.uk). If you feel your complaint has not been handled to your satisfaction you can contact the Chair of the UCL Research Ethics Committee –ethics@ucl.ac.uk.
12. Will my taking part in this project be kept confidential?
All the information that we collect about you during the course of the experiment will be kept strictly confidential. You will not be able to be identified in any ensuing reports or publications.
13. Limits to confidentiality
Confidentiality will be respected unless there are compelling and legitimate reasons for this to be breached. If this were the case, then we would inform you of any decisions that might limit your confidentiality. Please also note that confidentiality may not be guaranteed due to the limited size of the participant sample.
14. Use of Deception
As a student in the module, you will be involved in the design of the experiment and fully aware of the conditions. However, during the experiment the actual conditions may not be disclosed to the participants i.e. a blind study.
15. What will happen to the results of the research project?
The data will be collated and shared with the students/research group via secure platforms. The data will then be analyses by individual students and written-up as their coursework.
16. Data Protection Privacy Notice
Notice:
The data controller for this project will be University College London (UCL). The UCL Data Protection Office provides oversight of UCL activities involving the processing of personal data, and can be contacted at dataprotection@ucl.ac.uk. UCL’s Data Protection Officer can also be contacted at data-protection@ucl.ac.uk.
Your personal data will be processed for the purposes outlined in this notice. The legal basis that would be used to process your personal data will be the provision of your consent and performance of a task in the public interest.
Your personal data will be processed so long as it is required for the research project. This data will be anonymised, and we will endeavour to minimise the processing of personal data wherever possible.
If you are concerned about how your personal data is being processed, please contact UCL in the first instance at data-protection@ucl.ac.uk. If you remain unsatisfied, you may wish to contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). Contact details, and details of data subject rights, are available on the ICO website at: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/data-protection-reform/overview-of-the-gdpr/individuals-rights/
17. Contact for further information
Contact module lead, Dr Gesche Huebner (g.huebner@ucl.ac.uk).
