Social Networking and Blogging: Psychosocial and Motivational Aspects

FORM OF DISCLOSURE AND CONSENT
PLEASE NOTE: THERE ARE KNOWN DEFICIENCIES IN INTERNET EXPLORER 6. THIS SURVEY WILL ONLY WORK PROPERLY IF YOU ARE USING A BETTER BROWSER SUCH AS FIREFOX, SAFARI, OR IE7 AND HIGHER. 

Thank you for your interest in participating in this Swinburne University of Technology research study. Below is some information on the purpose of the study, eligibility to participate, and the rights and responsibilities  of participants. 

Participants who complete the survey are eligible to enter a lottery for one of three Nintendo DS's.

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EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Research is needed on the positive and negative aspects of social networking and blogging. There is very limited research on whether utilizing a social networking site has effects on psychological wellbeing, necessitating further research into this phenomenon. Likewise, a primary purpose of this research is to examine whether keeping a blog has effects on your psychological well-being, and if any effect relates to the type of blog you keep. Many blogs are similar to personal diaries, and there is a substantial amount of research on how diary writing relates to the authors emotional state. It is unclear if similar effects might occur from writing about daily life in blogs or on a social networking site, but if this is the case there may be potential implications for many internet users.

The following survey asks questions about how much you use the internet, your social life, how you've been feeling lately, how you describe yourself and about your reasons for starting your blog. This survey should take between 15-25 minutes to fill out. In six months a link to a second survey will be sent to you, and again another survey six months later after that. This is because we want to examine if there are any changes in your emotional state, as well as if there have been any changes to your social life after blogging for a while. In order to re-contact you, we ask that you provide an email address. Your email address will be kept confidential. After completing the study we will delete the email address from our data set making the information you provide de-identified.

You must be 18 years or older to complete the survey. Being in this study is completely voluntary and you may withdraw at any stage. Sometimes reflecting on personal matters can be upsetting for some people. You are free to omit any items you are not comfortable answering. If participation in the present study brings up feelings of sadness or anxiety, information about depression and anxiety are available at Beyond Blue (www.beyondblue.org.au).If you are feeling upset after participating in this research for any reason, please contact a counsellor or your local physician for consultation. Also, in some countries there may be restrictions on participating in international research projects. If you are participating in the project from outside of Australia, please be alert to any local or national restrictions.

In appreciation for your participation, you will have the option of entering into a lottery for a Nintendo DS when you have completed this survey. You can also be entered into additional lotteries for more units after each follow-up survey you complete.

Your responses to the survey will be confidential. The results of this study will be published in my PhD thesis, and may also be published in an academic journal, presented at a conference, or released to the press. However only grouped results will be published and no individual's responses will be identifiable. Storage of the data collected will adhere to the Swinburne University of Technology regulations and be securely kept on University premises for 5 years before destruction.

If you would like further information on this project, or are interested in the results, please contact
J.R. Baker at jrbaker[at]swin.edu.au or Professor Susan Moore at smoore[at]swin.edu.au (phone [03] 9214 5694 for Australian residents or ISD +613 9214 5694 for non-Australian residents).

If you have any complaints or concerns about the conduct of this project (Project 2008/012), please contact
Research Ethics Officer
Office of Research & Graduate Studies (H68)
Swinburne University of Technology
PO Box 218
Hawthorn VIC, Australia 3122
Phone:+613 9214 5218 ISD or [03] 9214 5218 for Australian residents
If you agree to the following, please enter the text from the image below and click the start button:
• I have read and understood the information above.
• I agree to participate in this research study, and understand that I can stop my participation at any time.