Please read our overall ethics guidelines here
The project has been registered within University of Dundee Research Ethics Low Risk category Registration Number: UOD-DJCAD-2019-0233
Additional participant information for each focus group will be provided before confirming participation in the study.
Who is conducting this research?
This research is being carried out by Dr Lauren England at the Duncan of Jordanstone
College of Art, University of Dundee (dundeeculturalrecovery@gmail.com) in collaboration with Leisure & Culture Dundee and Dundee City Council Events Team.
Who is funding the research?
This research is supported by the University of Dundee Impact and Innovation Development Fund
What is the purpose of the research?
This project aims to generate insights into the impact of the pandemic on the organisations and individual cultural workers (including freelancers) who make up Dundee’s cultural economy, the strategies they are adopting as organisations and creative entrepreneurs, and the role of policy in supporting Dundee’s cultural recovery. The project will support policy advocacy for Dundee’s cultural sector, generating data that can be used to make a case for support if appropriate, and evidencing the unseen impacts of cultural work in the city. It will provide an evidence base and insights to support local policy making and strategy development for Dundee City Council and Leisure & Culture Dundee.
Why have I been invited to take part?
You have been invited to take part because you represent a cultural or creative organisation, you work in the creative and cultural sector (as a freelancer or sole trader) or are a policymaker with a remit connected to the creative and cultural sector in Dundee, Scotland.
Do I have to take part?
No, you do not have to take part. Taking part is voluntary, choosing not to take part will not disadvantage you in any way. You may decide to withdraw from the study at any time prior to taking part, without explanation and without penalty. After data collection is complete, you will be able to correct/amend information or withdraw from the study up until the point when data is anonymised, at which point it will not be possible to identify my individual’s contribution (up to 4 weeks after participation for audio transcripts and 1 week for chat/Google Jamboard). To do so, email Dr Lauren England at dundeeculturalrecovery@gmail.com.
What will happen if I take part?
You will be invited to participate in an online focus group with other representatives of creative and cultural organisations in Dundee. The focus group will last a maximum of two hours. All activities will take place online using Microsoft Teams and a Google Jamboard (online collaboration board). You will be sent joining instructions before the event. Focus groups will be audio recorded and transcribed. Text/imagery from the Teams chat and Jamboard will be documented.
Are there any risks in taking part?
There are no known risks associated with taking part in the study
What are the possible benefits of taking part?
By taking part in this study you will be helping to generate insights into the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Dundee’s cultural sector to support local policy making and strategy development for Dundee City Council and Leisure & Culture Dundee. The focus groups can also act as a forum for networking and sharing expertise for local sector stakeholders.
Will my taking part in this project be kept
confidential?
Any personal information during the focus group that can identify you (name, email address, occupation and place of work) will be accessible by the research team up until the point all data is anonymised. Your name, occupation and place of work may be accessible by a professional transcription company for the purposes of audio transcription (this information will be removed from the transcription files by the research team if present). Only anonymised quotes will be used in research outputs and it will not be possible to identify you. No sensitive personal data will be collected as part of this study. Please do not share the name, information or contribution of any other participant in the study without their consent.
There are specific circumstances under which the researcher will need to breach this confidentiality (e.g. to report potential harm or danger to participants or others, or criminal activity, to the relevant authorities, such as information relating to terrorism, money laundering or child abuse).
What will happen to the information I provide?
Data collected will consist of an audio recording of the focus group and associated transcription, text from the chat during the focus group and the contents of the Jamboard. Audio recordings will be deleted once the transcripts have been prepared (by a professional transcription company) and checked by the research team (up to 4 weeks after the focus group). Focus group data will be anonymised following the transcription process, text in the chat will be anonymised directly following collection (within one week). Contents of the Jamboard will be submitted anonymously and checked for any identifying details to be removed (within one week).
All data will be stored online on an MS Teams file and associated share-point accessible only by the researcher. All data will be anonymised, password protected and only accessible to the researcher. All data will be stored online on an MS Teams file and associated share-point accessible only by the researcher. All data will be anonymised, password protected and only accessible to the researcher.
All data (in anonymised form) associated with the project will be retained for up to six years from the end of the project, after which retention will be reviewed. This is to allow for the development of research publications and outputs identified below.
If you decide to withdraw from the study prior to the focus group or before data is anonymised, your data will be removed from all research documentation and any contributions to the focus groups (verbal, chat comments) will be deleted from records.
The results of this study will be published in a public policy report and in academic publications (journal article or book chapter). Data will be presented as anonymised quotes from which individuals cannot be identified. You will be able to access a copy of the published results via the project website and/or Discovery, the University’s repository, or by request to the researcher, subject to any funder or publisher requirements.
Data Protection
The personal data that will be collected and processed in this study are your name, email address, occupation and place of work/company name. No sensitive personal data will be collected and processed in this study.
The University asserts that it lawful for it to process your personal data in this project as the processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller.
The University of Dundee is the data controller for the personal data processed in this project.
The University respects your rights and preferences in relation to your data and if you wish to update, access, erase, or limit the use of your information, please let us know by emailing Dr Lauren England dundeeculturalrecovery@gmail.com. Please note that some of your rights may be limited where personal data is processed for research, but we are happy to discuss that with you. If you wish to complain about the use of your information please contact the University’s Data Protection Officer in the first instance (email: dataprotection@dundee.ac.uk). You may also wish to contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (https://ico.org.uk/).
You can find more information about the ways that personal data is used at the University at: https://www.dundee.ac.uk/information-governance/dataprotection/.
Is there someone else I can complain to?
If you wish to complain about the way the research has been conducted please contact the Convener of the University Research Ethics Committee (https://www.dundee.ac.uk/research/ethics/contacts/).
Dundee Cultural Recovery 