About this Research Study

This research study titled, "Experiences of Youth Online Content Creators," is being led by Dr. Rebecca Ortiz, associate professor in the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, in collaboration with Drs. Srivi Ramasubramanian and Kelly Leahy, also professors in the Newhouse School, and SU master’s student Sophia Condemi. 

This study seeks to understand the benefits and risks for young online content creators who create and share content online with public audiences. Our goal in doing this research is to develop insights based upon the research results that could guide policies and education to help young creators navigate online spaces safely and effectively. 

If you are eligible and decide to participate in this research, you will participate in a virtual/online 1-hour interview (via Zoom) led by either Drs. Rebecca Ortiz, Srivi Ramasubramanian, or Kelly Leahy with support from a student notetaker (graduate student Sophia Condemi) who is trained and certified to assist with the research and maintain confidentiality. You will be asked questions about your experiences as an online content creator, including benefits, motivations, and challenges. The interview will be audio-recorded and transcribed so that we do not miss any of your answers. 

Some of the questions will include asking about any negative experiences you may have had and how you managed those experiences, such as experiences with harassment, bullying, or discrimination, which could lead to uncomfortable feelings or emotional distress. You do not, however, have to share any information or answer any questions you do not wish to share or answer. 

To support your well-being, we will also inform you at the end of the interview about available resources should you wish to discuss any feelings or concerns further with trained professionals. Also, with your permission, after the interview, Dr. Ortiz will email you a list of these resources discreetly, using only "Resources" in the subject line. The research team will strictly maintain your confidentiality, with only essential team members having access to any personally identifiable information.

Additionally, although we take every measure to ensure confidentiality through our online platform (Zoom) and electronic storage of files, there is a minimal risk of unintended information disclosure when working with the internet.

It is also important to note that under SU policy, faculty and researchers are considered mandated reporters. Because of this, if you are a current SU student and disclose of any experiences with child abuse, sexual misconduct, or intent to harm yourself or others, we are required to report this information to the university for ethical reasons.

There are not any direct benefits to study participation, but by sharing your knowledge and experiences, your participation will help us generate insights that may lead to stronger protections, policies, and educational resources for young content creators like yourself. 

All interviews will be conducted on Zoom, with the interviewer and notetaker located in a private, secure space where others cannot overhear. We encourage you to also choose a comfortable, private location for the interview, using headphones if that helps you maintain privacy. All interviews will be audio recorded and transcribed for data analysis only and not accessible to anyone outside of the research team. 

The audio-only recordings and transcripts from the interview will be securely stored in password-protected university OneDrive accounts, accessible only to the research team members. After each interview, the person who interviewed you will transfer the recordings and transcripts from Zoom to their secure OneDrive account. Only the person who interviewed you and graduate student researcher Sophia Condemi will have access to the recording and original transcript. 

Transcripts will be carefully reviewed by these two people to remove any identifying information (e.g., names, locations, social media handles) before sharing them with the rest of the team. Audio recordings will be deleted within three years of this interview or upon completion of data collection, whichever comes first. No personally identifiable information about you or other participants will ever be shared publicly, such as in any conferences, workshops, or publications related to this research.

Please note that while identifying information will be removed, the de-identified information could be used for future research studies or distributed to another investigator for future research studies without additional consent from you as the participant. But your identity will remain confidential regardless. 

While we will use the video camera in Zoom to conduct the interview, we will only audio record the conversation to ensure that we do not miss anything that you say and represent your experiences accurately. The audio recordings will only be available to the person who interviewed you and graduate student researcher Sophia Condemi to assist with verifying and de-identifying the transcript. The audio recording will be destroyed once data collection for the research study is complete or within 3 years of the original interview, whichever date comes first. 

Yes, you will receive $50 to your Venmo, PayPal, or Cash app account (your choice) within approximately 72 hours after the 1-hour interview is completed. 

If we or you, however, choose to end your participation early, you will receive a prorated compensation of $12.50 for every 15 minutes completed in the interview. 

Your participation is voluntary. You may skip and/or refuse to answer any question for any reason. You are free to withdraw from this research study at any time without penalty. 

For questions, concerns or more information regarding this research you may contact Dr. Rebecca Ortiz at rortiz09@syr.edu. If you have questions or concerns about your rights as a research participant, you may contact the Syracuse University Institutional Review Board at (315) 443-3013.