Call for LGBTIQ+ Research Participants

You are being invited to participate in a research study. Before you agree it is important that you understand what your participation would involve. Please take time to read the following information carefully.

Research Title

Passionate LGBT+ individuals and Authenticity: A Qualitative Study using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.

Who am I?

I, John Paul Muscat, am a postgraduate student in the School of Psychology at the University of East London and I am reading for my MSc Applied Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology degree. As part of my studies I am conducting the research which you are being invited to participate in.

Purpose of the study

To explore how LGBTQ+ individuals experience being one’s true self when expressing one’s passion.

Why have you been asked to participate?

You have been invited to participate in my research as someone who fits the criteria of my research topic. As an LGBT+ individual you can contact me and you will be asked to fill a Passion Scale (Vallerand, et al., 2003). The questionnaire focuses on your favourite activity and measures your passion level. Subsequently, an interview over Microsoft Teams will be carried out. The interview will be carried out online, and you are encouraged to be in a comfortable and confidential location.

By participating in this research, it will contribute to the better understanding to the LGBT+ community but can also provide personal insight about their passionate activity. I would like to emphasise that I am not looking for ‘experts’ on the topic I am studying. You will not be judged or personally analysed in any way and you will be treated with respect. You are free to decide whether you would like to participate and, should not feel coerced.

What will your participation involve?

If you agree to participate you will be asked to:

 Talk about the activity you are passionate about and to describe how you feel when carrying out the activity.

 Attend the interview that will last around 90 minutes.

The interview will be similar to an informal online chat however the interview will be recorded over Teams and transcribed.

Your taking part will be safe and confidential

Your participation is completely voluntary. With your permission, the interview will be recorded and I myself will transcribe the interview. Access to the recordings and uncoded data will only be accessible to the researcher and if need for verification arises, the interim supervisor Dr. Andrea Giraldez-Hayes and the examiners. All names mentioned in the research will be changed to ensure full anonymity. If you do decide to take part in this study, you have the right to:

1. Withdraw at any point during the interview

2. Refuse to answer any question(s) asked

3. Ask any questions regarding the study

4. Request access to the summary of the findings

5. Ask to see the transcription of your interview after it is complete.

My research has been approved by the School of Psychology Research Ethics Committee. This means that my research follows the standard of research ethics set by the British Psychological Society.

I will not be able to pay you for participating in my research, but your participation would be very valuable in helping to develop knowledge and understanding of my research topic.

What will happen to the information that you provide?

With your permission, the interview will be recorded and I myself will transcribe the audio. Access to the recordings and uncoded data will only be accessible to the researcher and if need for verification arises, the interim supervisor Dr. Andrea Giraldez-Hayes and the examiners. All names mentioned in the research will be changed to ensure pseudonymity.

The recorded interviews will be stored on a password protected device . Any and all signed forms will be kept in a locked drawer. After the research is completed the recordings will be deleted and the transcripts will be kept for up to three years to allow time for publication. The final research project with the anonymised data will be accessed by my supervisor and the examiners. The project will also be submitted to academic journals with the possibility of being published.

What if you want to withdraw?

You are free to withdraw from the research study at any time without explanation, disadvantage, or consequence. Furthermore, you may also request to withdraw your data even after you have participated data, provided that this request is made within 3 weeks of the data being collected after which point the data analysis will begin, and withdrawal will not be possible. Contact Details If you would like further information about my research or have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Mr. John Paul Muscat: u1824398@uel.ac.uk

If you have any questions or concerns about how the research has been conducted please contact the interim research supervisor, Dr. Andrea Giraldez-Hayes. AE.3.24, University of East London, Stratford Campus, Water Lane, London, E15 4LZ, United Kingdom. E15 4LZ. Email: a.giraldez-hayes@uel.ac.uk

or

Chair of the School of Psychology Research Ethics Sub-committee: Dr Tim Lomas, School of Psychology, University of East London, Water Lane, London E15 4LZ. (Email: t.lomas@uel.ac.uk)

Invitation Letter - John Paul Muscat

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