Call for Trans Persons for dissertation research

My name is Dylan Micallef, and I am a student at the University of Malta, presently reading for a Bachelors in Psychology. I am presently conducting a research study for my dissertaion titled “The essence of femininity from a transgender person’s perspective”; under the supervision of Ms. Beverley Abela Gatt . This letter is an invitaion to participate in this study.

Below you will find information about the study and about what your involvement would entail, should you decide to take part. The aim of my study is to shed light on the transgender community and educate society on such an identity. As well as to seek a definition of femininity from a transgender person’s point of view and if they encounter any struggles in portraying their femininity within society.

Your participation in this study would help contribute to a better understanding of what being transgender means within the local context, what femininity is and how femininity varies and not a concept which is fixed as seen traditionally in older literature. Any data collected from this research will be used solely for the purposes of this study.

Participation in this study is entirely voluntary; in other words, you are free to accept or refuse to partcipate without needing to give a reason. You are also free to withdraw from the study at any time, without needing to provide any explanation and without any negative repercussions for you. Should you choose to withdraw, any data collected from your interview will be deleted.

Although as a researcher I shall do my utmost to keep your identity as private as possible, since you form part of a very specific sampling group within a small community, I cannot guarantee full anonymity. Therefore, you as the participant may be potentially identifiable.

If you choose to partcipate, please note that there are no direct benefits to you. Moreover, your participation does not entail any known or anticipated risks. Even though it is not envisaged that this interview will cause any stress, in the event that you feel distressed, the service of a professional from Rainbow support services will be available at no financial cost on your part.

Please note also that, as a participant, you have the right under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and national legislation to access, rectify and where applicable ask for the data concerning you to be erased until it will be technically possible to do so, namely one month after the interview . All data collected will be erased once the study has terminated and is graded (July 2022) or as previously mentioned in the case that the participant asks specifically that the data given should be erased within one month after the interview is conducted. Both before the study has terminated and after the study has terminated.

A copy of this information sheet is being provided for you to keep and for future reference.

Thank you for your consideration. Should you have any questions or concerns, please

do not hesitate to contact me via e-mail dylan.micallef.18@um.edu.mt and you can also

contact my supervisor via email: babela01@um.edu.mt

Sincerely,

Dylan Micallef

dylan.micallef.18@um.edu.mt

Ms Beverley Abela Gatt

babela01@um.edu.mt