Embedded Files
Sharing stories of alcohol change
Research Team
Dr Emma Davies, Dr Jennifer Seddon, Imogen Coningsby, Megan Moore
Contact details: email edavies@brookes.ac.uk
telephone number: 01865 534803
You are being invited to take part in a research study. Before you decide whether or not to take part, it is important for you to understand why the research is being done and what it will involve. Please take time to read the following information carefully.
What is the purpose of the study?
Alcohol consumption is a growing concern in the UK, with many drinking at levels that could increase future health harms.
The purpose of conducting listening and sharing sessions is to understand people’s experiences of reducing alcohol consumption. We want to broaden perspectives on why people have chosen to reduce their drinking, what has helped people to cut down, and what has been important to them since they have made changes. With your permission, anonymised elements of the stories shared with us may form the basis of stories we use in our new resources, including via Oxfordshire County Council communications.
We are aware that alcohol use can be a difficult topic to talk about. The research team includes people who themselves have experiences of making changes to their drinking. We would like to reassure you that we are here to listen and learn from you and your experiences.
Why have I been invited to participate?
If you have reduced your alcohol intake over the last five years, we are interested in hearing your story about how this happened. We are inviting people aged over 18 who live in the UK to take part.
Do I have to take part?
No, giving your permission and taking part in the study is entirely voluntary. If you decide to take part, you will be asked to give your consent before starting the study. If you decide to take part you are still free to withdraw at any time without providing a reason. Any data collected from you can be withdrawn up to the point of analysis by contacting the researchers. Analysis will begin one week after each session takes place.
What will happen to me if I take part?
If you decide to take part, you will be invited to share your story in a one-to-one interview with a member of the research team.
If you take part in an interview then the following things will happen.
● At the start the researcher will introduce themselves to you and you will have the opportunity to ask questions about the research.
● You will be invited to share your story with the researcher and they will then ask you your opinion about sharing stories for our new resource. You do not have to share any information that you do not want to and can ask to end the interview any time.
● The interview will last up to one hour. You can take a break at any point.
We will offer you £30 voucher afterwards as a gesture of thanks for your kind participation.
Elements of the stories shared will then be used to inform the creation of materials for our new resource. Stories used in the resource will be fictionalised and will not use any identifying information. You will have the opportunity to review the materials that we create and you can ask us to make changes or remove details. This will happen within six weeks of the interview taking place.
In particular, please note that your story may be anonymised, adapted and fictionalised by the team for use on their website or other platforms. Any story published will be adapted such that the original contributor is not identifiable. While stories will be based on real experiences, the people presented on the site are not real people. By signing the consent form, you grant the SPACES project a non-exclusive licence to adapt and publish your contribution.
Oxfordshire County Council are interested in inviting people to feature in videos about their experiences. If you would like to be contacted about this, we will let you know their contact details for more information. If you take part in the research, you are under no obligation to also participate in anything additional.
Are there any risks involved?
It is possible that once you have taken part in this study you might have questions or want information about your own or someone else’s drinking. You can find support at the following webpages
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-advice/alcohol-support/
https://alcoholchange.org.uk/help-and-support/get-help-now
You can also get help and advice from your own doctor (GP) or by phoning Drinkline, a free, confidential helpline for people who are concerned about their drinking, or someone else's. Call 0300 123 1110 (weekdays 9am–8pm, weekends 11am–4pm)
What are the possible benefits of taking part?
There are no individual benefits to you, but if you choose to take part then you will be helping us to understand how to create a resource that uses stories to help people to reduce their alcohol consumption if they chose to do so.
Will what I say in this study be kept confidential?
We will audio record the sessions so we can analyse the data afterwards. Once we have transcribed the sessions the audio recordings will be deleted and any identifying details will be replaced in the transcripts. As we are only talking to a small number of people, then there is a small risk that someone could identify you from something you say. However, no identifying information will be included in any of the written work resulting from the study. To contact you about the study we will use your name and email address. You can read our privacy notice on our project website. https://sites.google.com/brookes.ac.uk/spaces/take-part/privacy-notice-for-research-participants
What will happen to the results of the research study?
The results of this study will form part of some resources for people who would like to make changes to their drinking habits. They may be presented at conferences and summarised in blogs and media articles. They will also be written up for publication in an academic journal and presented at a conference.
We may also put an anonymised data set in a repository, such as the Open Science Framework, to assist with future research on this topic.
All the data collected from this research will be kept in line with the University’s policy of Academic Integrity. This means that all data will be securely stored in paper or electronic form for a period of 10 years when the project is finished.
In addition, you will be able to see a summary of the research findings by contacting the researcher by email on edavies@brookes.ac.uk.
Who is organising and funding the research?
The project is being conducted and by researchers at Oxford Brookes University and Liverpool John Moores University. This work is funded by Oxford Brookes University.
Ethical Approval
This study has been reviewed by Oxford Brookes University’s Research Ethics Committee (UREC committee number: 241837). If you have any concerns about the way in which the study has been conducted, you may contact the Chair of the Oxford Brookes University Research Ethics Committee on ethics@brookes.ac.uk.
What should I do if I want to take part?
If you have read this information and would like to be involved then please email the researchers on edavies@brookes.ac.uk
Who can I contact if I have any questions?
Please ask if you have any questions or you want further information about this study. Contact details are at the top of this page.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read this information sheet
Emma Davies
June 2026
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