Accessing the solar website:

This study aims to inform participants about the ideas of permacomputing (this broadly involves sustainable ways of using computers and digital systems) and assessing if these ideas of sustainable computing end up impacting how we think about the digital world.

I have approached you because either you have expressed an interest in the Wilderland project, or you have expressed an interest in sustainability. I am seeking participants who are interested in discussing these issues, and discussing solutions or even ways of acting.

I would be very grateful if you would agree to take part in this study.

If you decided to take part, this would involve the following: participating in some hands-on information sessions, such as a workshop or a demonstration, and sharing your thoughts throughout. You will be asked to respond to certain questions on these topics, and I will capture these responses. Some discussion topics may be a little bit technical, but no prior knowledge is required, only your own experiences, references and ideas. You will be asked to consider diverging opinions or points of view, either provided by the researcher or that arise through discussion, but all participants are asked to respect each others positions and entertain discussion. Individual questions may also be asked, in order to clarify opinions, but you may refuse to answer any continuation questions. If vocal expression of answers is complex; or you prefer written forms of answer, that is also a possibility and a valued form of contribution. If this is your preference, please notify the researcher, and they will ensure that questions and answers are properly captured (see section on data capture).

Taking part in this study will allow you to share your experiences of adapting to sustainable living and experiences of using digital products. There also is the possible benefit of some learning regarding small-scale energy solutions, small-scale information technology ideas and alternative digital practices.

No. It’s completely up to you to decide whether or not you take part. Your participation is voluntary.

If you change your mind, you are free to withdraw at any time during your participation in this study. If you want to withdraw, please let me know, and I will extract any ideas or information (=data) you contributed to the study and destroy them. However, it is difficult and often impossible to take out data from one specific participant when this has already been anonymised or pooled together with other people’s data. While you have the right to withdraw at any time, I can only reliably delete identifiable data up to six weeks after your participation, after which it will have been anonymised and pooled with other responses. In the case of written responses to questions, if might not be possible to withdraw your participation, as your submission becomes anonymous as soon as you submit it. If this is of any concern, please raise this with the researcher before agreeing to participate.

It is unlikely that there will be any major disadvantages to taking part, however, a time commitment to discussion and responses will be required. There will be no obligation to reply to questions at a specific time, but time-frames will be required for this study and might be considered a disadvantage.

How will data be captured? The workshops you will take part in are intended to be conversational. I will ask questions and ask opinions on specific subjects that relate to the research topic. These conversations will be captured on an audio recording device such as a dicta-phone. This raw audio capture will only be used by the researcher to transcribe portions of conversation that are relevant to the research topic. Once the transcription has been made (see next question about identifiable elements in the recordings) the recording files will be deleted. The other form of data capture is written: in the case where a participant prefers to express themselves in written forms (answering a question, or expressing an opinion) hand or computer written data will also be captured. In this case, the submitted written answers will be transcribed in a similar manner to the audio recordings, anonymised and later destroyed. No other form of capture will happen during the workshops.

After the observation, discussions and questions, only I, the researcher conducting this study will have access to the ideas you share with me. The only other person who will have access to what you contributed is a professional transcriber who will listen to the recordings and produce a written record of what you have said. The transcriber will sign a confidentiality agreement.

I will keep all personal information about you (e.g. your name and other information about you that can identify you) confidential, that is I will not share it with others. I will remove any personal information from the written record of your contribution. All reasonable steps will be taken to protect the anonymity of the participants involved in this project.

The above is common practice. However, in some projects and for some participants, it will be preferable or necessary to use their real names and identify them and if this is the case you should state this here.

How will we use the information you have shared with us and what will happen to the results of the research study?

I will use the information you have shared with me only in the following ways:

I will use it for research purposes only. This will include my PhD thesis and other publications, for example journal articles. I may also present the results of my study at academic conferences. I may also attend practitioner conferences or inform policy-makers about relevant findings.

When writing up the findings from this study, I would like to reproduce some of the views and ideas you shared with me. I will only use anonymised quotes (e.g. from my workshops and any subsequent conversations with you), so that although I will use your exact words, all reasonable steps will be taken to protect your anonymity in our publications.

How my data will be stored? Your data will be stored in encrypted files (that is no-one other than me, the researcher will be able to access them) and on password-protected computers. I will store hard copies of any data securely in locked cabinets in my office. I will keep data that can identify you separately from non-personal information (e.g. your views on a specific topic). In accordance with University guidelines, I will keep the data securely for a minimum of ten years. This data will be stored on encrypted data storage provided by the University which is 2FA protected and backed up.

If you have any queries or if you are unhappy with anything that happens concerning your participation in the study, please contact myself Colm O’Neill by email oneillc3@lancs.ac.uk or my PhD supervisor Philip Moffitt by email p.moffitt1@lancaster.ac.uk

If you have any concerns or complaints that you wish to discuss with a person who is not directly involved in the research, you can also contact: the Education and Social Justice Programme Director Melis Cin, Tel: +44 (0) 1524 593189 Email: m.cin@lancaster.ac.uk or Head of Department of Educational Research Jan McArthur, Tel: +44 (0) 1524 593189 Email: j.macarthur@lancaster.ac.uk

This study has been reviewed and approved by the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and Lancaster Management School’s Research Ethics Committee.