[Web4lib] library school students' survey on e-government -- please help!

[Rachel Hally]

Dear WEB4LIB Subscriber:

This is a research project being conducted by Lee Strickland 
of the Center for Information Policy at the University of 
Maryland, College Park. If you have any questions about the 
research study itself, please contact Lee S. Strickland at: 
301-405-1741 or lstrickl at umd.edu. We are inviting you to 
participate in this research project because you subscribe to 
WEB4LIB and have an interest in electronic applications used 
in libraries. Due to the constraints of our semester 
schedule, we would appreciate it if you could respond by 
Friday, Dec. 9, 2005. Click this link to access the survey: 
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=234081577788

The purpose of this research project is learn whether the 
Federal government has done an adequate job of publicizing 
the e-government programs initiated in response to President 
George W. Bush’s introduction of his 24 initiatives to 
facilitate government provision of services to citizens and 
businesses, and among agencies. We are attempting to 
determine whether the government has marketed its services in 
such a way that causes librarians in public libraries 
recommend them to patrons over commercial enterprises 
providing similar services.

The procedures involve completing a survey online. There are 
22 questions which should take less than 20 minutes to 
complete. The first section of the survey includes questions 
about your library, community, and patrons. No individually-
identifiable data will be collected. The second part of the 
survey includes questions regarding your knowledge of various 
Federal e-government initiatives and similar services offered 
by the private and nonprofit sectors. At any time while you 
are answering the questions, you can abandon the survey by 
clicking “Exit this survey.” After all survey information is 
collected and analyzed, a copy of the study results will be 
posted to WEB4LIB. 

We will do our best to keep your personal information 
confidential. The survey is anonymous and will not contain 
any information that may personally identify you. If we write 
a report or article about this research project, your 
identity will be protected to the maximum extent possible. 
Your responses may be shared with representatives of the 
University of Maryland, College Park or governmental 
authorities if you or someone else is in danger or if we are 
required to do so by law.

There are no known risks associated with participating in 
this research project.  

The benefits to you include potentially learning about 
resources you can use in serving your patrons, and receiving 
the results of the survey and research project. 

Your participation in this research is completely voluntary. 
You may choose not to take part at all. If you decide to 
participate in this research, you may stop participating at 
any time. If you decide not to participate in this study or 
if you stop participating at any time, you will not be 
penalized or lose any benefits to which you otherwise 
qualify. By responding to the survey, you are indicating that 
you understand the conditions and freely agree to participate.

The University of Maryland does not provide any medical, 
hospitalization or other insurance for participants in this 
research study, nor will the University of Maryland provide 
any medical treatment or compensation for any injury 
sustained as a result of participation in this research 
study, except as required by law.

If you have questions about your rights as a research subject 
or wish to report a research-related injury, please contact: 
Institutional Review Board Office, University of Maryland, 
College Park, Maryland, 20742;         
(e-mail) Institutional Review Board at deans.umd.edu;  
(telephone) 301-405-0678 
This research has been reviewed according to the University 
of Maryland, College Park INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD 
procedures for research involving human subjects.

We thank you for your consideration of this project. Survey 
results will be posted to WEB4LIB for your review.

Sincerely,

Rachel Hally and Jenny Spiker