What are we trying to learn in this research?

Girls in the Digital World is a research project designed to explore how to facilitate participatory action research (PAR) with children. Up to 10 participants between the ages of 10-12 who are girls (cis or trans) or gender diverse individuals will attend a virtual summer “camp,” where they will work with the adult facilitators to learn about research in a fun and engaging way. The participants will discuss their experiences with social media and choose a related issue to research. Following the weeklong summer “camp,” the adult facilitators will meet with the participants in three additional virtual sessions to help support the completion of their self-selected research projects. Once their projects are complete, the participants will decide if and how they would like to share their research (i.e., a virtual presentation to families and/or peers). Because we are trying to learn how to do PAR with children in this project, we will ask the participants to provide us with anonymous feedback about their experience. They will also be asked to participate in an exit interview that will help us understand how we can improve our facilitation strategies.

Where and When?

This research project involves a 5-day virtual summer “camp” and three virtual follow-up sessions with the research team (to be scheduled in collaboration with the participants) to support participants’ research projects. All training and technology will be provided for participants to enable them to complete a research project on an issue related to social media. Meetings will be held August 15-19th, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm with an hour break from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm. Parents or guardians will be required to attend an initial meeting with a research team member to discuss the project details and after that meeting they will be updated periodically via an email newsletter.

Why is this important to academia and the general public?

Girls in the Digital World will contribute to academic knowledge by piloting a new methodological approach and expanding the scope of participatory action research to include children under the age of 13. This research project will offer new insights into participatory approaches to critical digital media literacy by proposing a model for engaging children in educating themselves and their peers about how to navigate their digital worlds. The participants' reflections and findings will inform both the general public and academia about girls' media experiences through their perspectives which will spread awareness of the need to confront social and emotional challenges associated with digital media usage. The project will also inform and transform social constructs of childhood as the girls' agency and contribution as citizens will be the basis of the research.

Compensation

Participants will be provided with an iPad, and headphones with a microphone, along with all the necessary software and applications for the project to use for the March Break workshop activities. All participants who complete the March Break virtual "camp" will be able to keep the iPad and accessories provided.

Risks and Inconveniences

As this project is designed to be a collaborative learning process similar to a school or extracurricular activities, there are few risks for you or your child. Because the participants will be discussing social media experiences, there is a possibility that sensitive topics may arise. A Parent Guide has been developed to provide more information about how the adult research facilitators will address any sensitive topics that may arise.

Although participants’ first name and visual image will be known to the other youth participants and the adult facilitators, confidentiality will be maintained outside of the virtual workshop environment, and headphones will be utilized so that the privacy of other youth participants is protected. Participants’ identities will not be revealed in any academic work that results from the project.

Confidentiality

We will treat participants' personal information as confidential, although absolute privacy cannot be guaranteed. No information that discloses your identity will be released or published without your specific consent. Research records may be accessed by the Carleton University Research Ethics Board in order to ensure continuing ethics compliance.

The participants’ identities will be known to the research team. However, no part of these virtual sessions will be recorded and all contributions collected during the workshops will be anonymous. Audio recordings of exit interviews will be anonymized and transcribed before being stored.

Academic publications resulting from the project will utilize the research team data (reflections, conversations) as the primary object of analysis. Reports and presentations will include anonymized data only. The participants’ projects will only be discussed generally in terms of the research teams’ effectiveness in facilitating their stated interests and goals for the projects; only details related to facilitating the PAR methodology will be discussed and any direct references to participant data (workshop contributions; exit interviews) will utilize code names.

Participant consent forms will be stored on the Principal Investigator's password-protected computer. During the active phase of the research project (until May 31, 2023) other electronic documents (anonymized workshop feedback, anonymized exit interview responses, research team reflections and meeting transcripts) will be stored on a secure folder in OneDrive, accessible only with the research team members' Carleton login. The use of a secure server poses little risk as no sensitive data is being collected to present a privacy risk. Once this period ends and the data no longer need to be shared among research team members, all data will be moved to a password-protected folder accessible only to the PI.

Additionally, all data will be kept confidential, unless release is required by law (e.g. child abuse, harm to self or others).

New information during the study

In the event that any changes could affect your decision to continue participating in this study, you will be promptly informed.

What if I have questions later?

Is there anything I can do if I find this experiment to be emotionally upsetting? Yes. If you feel any distress or anxiety after participating in this study, please feel free to contact the Carleton University Health and Counseling Services at: 613-520-6674, or the Distress Centre of Ottawa and Region at 613-238-3311 (http://www.dcottawa.on.ca).

If you have any remaining concerns, questions, or comments about Girls in the Digital World, please feel free to contact Dr. Julie C. Garlen (Principal Investigator), at: julie.garlen@carleton.ca (613-292-0528).

If you have any ethical concerns with the study, please contact the Carleton University Research Ethics Board-A (by phone at 613-520-2600 ext. 2517 or via email at ethics@carleton.ca).