Participation information
Expectations, ideas and motivations among fathers joining City of Edinburgh Council’s parenting courses.
You are invited to take part in a research study. To help 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. Talk to others about the study if you wish. Contact us if there is anything that is not clear, or if you would like more information. Take time to decide whether or not you wish to take part.
What is the purpose of the study?
This study aims to explore the beliefs and opinions of fathers who have signed up to ‘Raising Children with Confidence’ or ‘Raising Teens with Confidence’ parenting courses, run by City of Edinburgh Council. The main focus of the study is on parenting education. But it is deliberately set in the context of how society and public authorities portray and treat fathers.
Fathers’ views are often under-explored in parenting research. So this study aims to ask questions about meaning and preferences, both to inform wider research and to influence how courses are design and delivered. This is not a survey. The study is designed to help understand what is important to you.
Why have I been invited to take part?
You have been invited to take part, as a volunteer, in a student study investigating expectations, ideas and motivations among fathers joining parenting courses in 2024 run by City of Edinburgh Council. The study seeks to recruit up to a dozen dads to contribute to a research project or study, based on undertaking interview with the researcher.
Do I have to take part?
No, it is up to you to decide whether or not to take part. If you do decide to take part you will be given this information sheet to keep and be asked to sign a consent form. If you decide to take part you are still free to withdraw without giving a reason.
What will happen if I take part?
You will be asked to take part in an on-line interview with me, Toby Lewis. I am a postgraduate student enrolled on the Master of Public Health programme at the University of Edinburgh, and this project is part of my degree. If you agree to take part, during the interview I will ask you a series of questions about your views of parenting support and education.
Interviews will last approximately 45-60 minutes or for as long as you would like to talk about your perspectives. With your permission the interview will be audio-recorded. You can stop the interview at any time without any repercussions and without giving any reason, and you do not have to answer a particular question if you do not wish to.
The interview will take place using a typical online format (MS Teams) at a date and time that is convenient for you. You can choose to have your camera off or on, or to switch your camera off at any point. I will be alone while conducting the interview and I would ask you to undertake the interview in a confidential, private space such as your home or a work location.
The transcription of the interview will take place from the recordings taken during it. This will be analysed by the researcher using a technique called thematic analysis. I will contrast different views given to me in different interviews and compare that to the wider research literature. My research supervisors will advise me from their independent perspective.
What are the possible benefits of taking part?
You will be helping researchers to develop a wider body of knowledge to inform what is funded, provided, and delivered in the city. This research is one part of ongoing work examining support to parents in Edinburgh.
What are the possible disadvantages of taking part?
We do not expect any discomfort or risk arising with this research study. You can choose what to say and how much information you wish to share.
However, if you feel uncomfortable, you can stop the interview at any time, without giving a reason. A guide to support resources for parents will be provided with the consent information.
What if there are any problems?
If you have a concern about any aspect of this study please contact the Usher Masters Research Ethics Group (UMREG) umreg@ed.ac.uk who will do their best to answer your questions.
What will happen if I don’t want to carry on with the study?
If you decide before the start of April that you no longer wish to be part of the study, then you can withdraw without giving a reason, and without repercussions. You can also ask for your data to be removed from the study and destroyed. This will be explained during the consent process.
Writing up of the dissertation of which this study forms a part starts in April, which explains this deadline or cut-off point.
What happens when the study is finished?
The information (data) you provide during your interview will be analysed and used to write up a dissertation by June 2024.
Data collected during the study will be retained for up to twelve months with full confidentiality and data security. It will then be destroyed. Data will be held in DataStore owned and operated by the University of Edinburgh. Paper copies of material, including signed consent forms will be retained, and kept in a locked space within a locked office used only by the researcher. Your data will not be used for any other study nor will you be contacted by any other party aware of your participation.
Will my taking part be kept confidential?
Your participation will be confidential, and in particular will not be disclosed to parenting education tutors nor to the City of Edinburgh Council, who support their courses.
All the information you give us will be kept strictly confidential. Procedures for handling, storing, processing, and destroying the data will comply fully with the Data Protection Act of 1998.
This means that only the I as the researcher, and my supervisors, will see or hear the audio-recordings of what you have said. The audio-recording of your interview will be identified by a code number only. These audio-recordings will be transcribed, and identifying details such as place names and people’s names will be removed from the transcripts.
I will use quotes from the interviews in the write-up of the study but will ensure that no one can be identified from these quotes. At the end of the study, the research data, including consent forms, anonymised interview transcripts, field notes and your contact details, will be kept on encrypted computer files for no more than twelve months.
All the information we collect during the course of the research will be kept confidential and there are strict laws which safeguard your privacy at every stage.
We will need to collect the following personal identifiable information from you for this research study:
- name
- age range
- ethnic identity
- relationship status if disclosed
- children’s age range and gender if disclosed
- address
- postcode
- email address.
Any information that contains your name and personal identifiers will be removed so that you cannot be identified. All information will be coded and de-identified. The information we have collected in at Office 1.02, Woodfield House, Tickhill Road, Doncaster OR while the electronic data will be stored on Data Store which can only be accessed with a secure password. Only the researchers will have access to the data.
Where can you find out more about how your information is used?
You can find out more about how we use your information
- by asking the researcher
- by sending an email to s2268270@ed.ac.uk
- For further information about how the University of Edinburgh will use your personal data please see www.ed.ac.uk/data-protection/privacy-notice-research
What will happen to the results of the study?
After the study has finished, the results will be written up as part of the master’s thesis of Toby Lewis and submitted for examination.
It is possible that the findings from this study will also be submitted for publication in an academic journal and presented at conferences. If you would like to receive a copy of the findings, please let me know by using the contact information provided and I will happily provide you with one.
You will not be identifiable from any published results.
Who is organising and funding the research?
This study forms part of an educational qualification in the Masters of Public Health programme at the University of Edinburgh. The research carries no funding. My time is paid for by the NHS as part of a personal development programme.
Who has reviewed the study?
The study proposal has been reviewed by my academic supervisor.
All research is looked at by an independent group of people called an Ethics Committee. A favourable ethical opinion has been obtained from the Usher Masters Research Ethics Group (UMREG).
Researcher contact details
The research and interviews are being conducted by me, Toby Lewis, Master of Public Health student at the University of Edinburgh, based in the School of Molecular, Genetic and Population Health Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine.
Contact Toby Lewis directly, who will be happy to respond to any questions you may have. He can be reached via s2268270@ed.ac.uk. His supervisor can be contacted via ruth.mcquillan@ed.ac.uk
Independent contact details
If you would like to discuss this study with someone independent of the study, please contact the programme’s independent lead via neneh.rowa-dewar@ed.ac.uk
Complaints
If you wish to make a complaint about the study please contact:
The Usher Masters Research Ethics Group
Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh,
Old Medical School, Teviot Place, Edinburgh, EH8 9AG
Email: UMREG@ed.ac.uk
Consent and take part
If you are happy to take part in this study, please download the consent form below:
Thank you for reading this information and if you wish to know more, please do get in touch via s2268270@ed.ac.uk.
Page last reviewed: May 07, 2024
Next review due: May 07, 2025