The wording
participant-information-sheet-wording.docx · about 250 words
Participant information sheet wording
What happens to your interview
After your interview, [Researcher name] will type it up and give you a made-up name, so your real name does not appear in the analysis. The typed transcript will be kept in [storage location] at [your institution].
How your words are analysed
[Researcher name] will use software called Themescape to look at patterns across everyone's interviews. Themescape works inside the researcher's web browser on their own computer. Your words are not sent to the company that makes it, or to anyone else. The company's data pledge states:
- Transcripts and quotes are read locally and never leave the machine.
- No file submission or permanent storage is required.
- Verbatim quotes are never altered, with a separate refined column for presentation wording.
- The Google Sheets mode is opt in, for non-sensitive data only.
The Google Sheets mode will not be used for your interview.
Quotes from your interview
Short quotes from your interview may appear in [the thesis, articles and presentations], under your made-up name. Your exact words are always kept as you said them. Where a quote is tidied to make it easier to read, the tidied version is kept separately, and [how quotes may be tidied]. Nothing that could identify you will be included.
Questions
If you have any questions about how your information is handled in [Project title], contact [Researcher name] at [contact email].
Placeholders in square brackets are highlighted; replace each one before you submit.
Placeholders in this template
| Placeholder | Replace with |
|---|---|
[Researcher name] | The name of the researcher participants should contact. |
[storage location] | Where the study's data is kept, as described elsewhere in your application, such as an encrypted university drive. |
[your institution] | The university or organisation responsible for the study. |
[the thesis, articles and presentations] | Where quotes and figures from the study will appear. |
[how quotes may be tidied] | Your convention for presenting quotes, such as removing hesitations and repeated words without changing the meaning. |
[Project title] | The title of your study, as it appears on your application. |
[contact email] | The email address participants should use for questions or to withdraw. |
How to adapt it
Paste the sections into your participant information sheet where it describes what happens to participants' information, and replace each placeholder. The wording is plain on purpose; keep it that way when you adapt it.
If your study uses participant codes rather than made-up names, change "made-up name" to match. Keep the four pledge lines exactly as written, and keep the sentence after them unless your ethics approval allows a Google Sheet for this material.
Make sure the storage location and the people who can see the data match the rest of your information sheet and your ethics application.
Limits
This wording describes how Themescape handles research data. It does not describe your recording device, transcription, storage or coding software, which your application needs to cover separately.
It has not been approved by any ethics committee or funder, and it is not legal advice. Your institution's ethics office has the final say on what your application needs.