HSP Agreement

My name is Anthony Amundson and I am an undergraduate student enrolled in a research methods class (Multimedia 490: Field Research In Second Life) at Bradley University in Peoria Il, USA, that is being conducted in Second Life.

Our projects feature observation of a “community of practice,” that is, a group of people doing similar things in a cultural setting. I am observing anthropomorphic avatar groups at this time.

My observations are merely descriptive: I’ll take notes about what I see and I may summarize those notes in my paper, in class presentations to my classmates, or on my web-blog about this research. The blog is found at: <> >.

I will not record or publish either the SL or RL name of any avatar/person. Any observations about avatars or recording of their talk transcripts would take place only after having obtained the explicit permission of that avatar/person and would only happen after the name of the avatar had been changed via secret coding scheme. I will ask you if I can have your permission to use your talk as research data. Any pictures taken in SL, that serve as explanatory data and which might include avatars, will be modified so that avatar names and identifying characteristics are blurred/blocked unless you give me explicit permission to use your avatar likeness without modification.

We will also interview informants about the communities of practice that we are studying.
These conversations are, again, voluntary and only with the informed permission of the avatar/person/informant. To avoid linking you personally to your responses with a written consent your completing the interview (survey) will imply consent. We may copy out the chat transcript from our conversations/interviews. When we do, we will change/code your name so that there is no recorded connection between you/your avatar and the data.

You may choose to withdraw from any aspect of this study, at any time, without penalty by simply telling me you wish to stop.

This study has been certified as exempt for full committee review by the chair of the Bradley University Committee on the Use of Human Subjects in Research (CUHSR) and has been cleared by signed agreement with Linden Lab (via their “research procedures” ). Documentation for both is on file and available on request.

You may follow the progress of all of the studies in the class, including this one at:
. Presentation of the findings from the study serve as our gift to the communities of practice who share time and knowledge with us; perhaps our perspectives will help residents more fully understand and appreciate their activities.

If you have questions regarding the study, you can contact the Chairperson of CUHSR at 309 677-2550 or me, in world or our of world via email at , or my teacher, Professor Beliveau in world or out of world as Ed Lamoureux at ell@bradley.edu, 309-677-2378.

Do you have any questions?
Do you agree that I may
-use your conversation in my study?
-Use your avatar likeness without modification (other than the coding of your avatar’s name)?
-publish a transcript of talk that includes words associated with your avatar (using
the coded name)?