Annex 3.1
Participant Information Sheets

This annex presents the information sheets that I invited interested participants from FairCoop and the Deep Adaptation Forum to read and understand before becoming involved in the project. I reproduce these sheets here as they were displayed on my research blog at the time of writing.

The information presented on both sheets is largely identical, except for a few small differences:

• the FairCoop sheet includes a self-recorded video, which I used to introduce my project to FairCoop participants;
• the Deep Adaptation Forum sheets includes information relevant to the various modalities of participation in the DAF research project, including through answering surveys, or publishing articles on the Conscious Learning Blog.

FairCoop

Page URL: https://engramseeker.wordpress.com/faircoop/

How may online networks enable radical collective change through social learning?

A PhD research project by Dorian Cavé
(Lancaster University; IFLAS, University of Cumbria, UK)

Figure 13: FairCoop introduction video. URL: https://vimeo.com/406233621

The human species is arguably living through a period of existential challenges unparalleled in history. Indeed, the planet Earth is undergoing rapid changes — caused by mankind itself — which could severely compromise human survival. These include mass species extinctions; climatic disruptions; and catastrophic topsoil losses. These issues are compounded by widespread systemic social and political failures, such as the economic growth imperative; entrenched dependence on fossil fuels; rising wealth inequalities; and failing democratic processes.

And yet, global efforts aiming at rising to this civilizational challenge seem scattered, piecemeal, and orders of magnitude below what appears necessary — one need only look at the weakness of current climate change commitments in the wake of the 2015 Paris Agreement, and how they aren’t even being followed through.

I believe that from the perspective of effectuating a global transition to a fairer and more liveable world, insufficient attention and efforts have been devoted to the following aspects:

1. Education and consciousness-raising. A multitude of indicators point at the lack of awareness as regards these issues in the general population. It can be surmised that an insufficient understanding of (and deep emotional response to) what is at stake is one of the roots of the lack of public mobilisation that can be observed.
2. Means of connected mobilisation. Online social networks have become a central feature of our lives. These tools have been hailed by some as central to the development of new popular and democratic movements. However, when considering the multitude of grassroots initiatives that aim at creating positive social change on a particular topic (for instance, re-localizing the economy through community currencies), the lack of networks and other instruments specifically dedicated to federating such efforts is rather striking.

My objective in the course of this PhD research is to bring together these two elements, and thus, investigate how online networks may foster and enable radical collective change through social learning.

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As an important step in my research, I would like to work with my fellow members of the online community FairCoop, which is dedicated to promoting the social and solidarity economy and transforming society to abolish all forms of domination.

Through my communication and interaction with other members, I am hoping to shed some more light on the following issues:

1. How does FairCoop enable us to learn about the social issues we care most about, and to act on those issues?
2. Are these functions desirable? (i.e. are these functions of learning and acting among the main reasons why we joined FairCoop in the first place?);
3. Do we find FairCoop satisfactory in these terms?
4. And if it isn’t, how could these functions be improved?

I wish to work with anyone from FairCoop who may be interested in these issues, mainly via teleconference and email, both individually and as groups. I guarantee full anonymacy to every participant.

At the end of this research phase, I would like share the results we have obtained through a special report written specifically for the members of FairCoop.

This is a Participatory Action Research project. Read more about what I mean by that.

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Some questions you may have about this research project:

Why have you asked me to take part and what will I be required to do?

I believe that as a fellow active member of FairCoop, you are ideally positioned to help our entire network/community better understand how we can make FairCoop a better channel to achieve transformative change, especially through collective knowledge-sharing and learning.

What if I do not wish to take part or change my mind during the study?

Your participation in the study is entirely voluntary. You are free to withdraw from the study at any time without having to provide a reason for doing so.

What happens to the research data?

All research data will be treated in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation guidelines (which are summarised on this document).

Research data will consist mainly of records and minutes from conversations, meetings and interviews taking place between myself and other FairCoop members. By default, this data will be safeguarded securely onto my personal computer, in encrypted form.

Only I, the researcher, will have access to the data. However, if I receive explicit consent in written form from you that you agree to share records from our conversations with other official participants, I will enable the sharing of this particular data through a secure cloud-based solution (NextCloud) hosted on my personal web server, in case it can facilitate our collective learning. No data will be shared without anyone’s explicit consent.

I will provide full anonymity to all project participants. Anyone will be allowed to ask for the deletion of their own conversation records from the research files. In case of participants whose anonymity may be difficult to fully guarantee (because of the role they play in DAF, for example), I will happily discuss with you personally what data you are comfortable providing to this research on a case-by-case basis.

If you decide to withdraw from the project, I will offer you the option to have all your research contributions and conversation records deleted, if you so wish.

All data will be securely stored in encrypted form for as long as you allow me.

How will the research be reported?

I intend to communicate my research findings to you, as a participant, and to others, mainly through:

1. Webinars organised at regular intervals;
2. A final report, specially written for (and perhaps, together with) the members of FairCoop (i.e. not made public elsewhere);
3. My PhD thesis, which will aggregate and synthesise the results of my research.

As pointed out above, I will do my utmost to guarantee full anonymity to every project participant in these reports.

How can I find out more information?

Please contact me directly, by email (dorian.cave@uni.cumbria.ac.uk) or on Telegram: @doncaviare

What if I want to complain about the research?

Initially you should contact me directly. However, if you are not satisfied or wish to make a more formal complaint, you should contact Diane Cox, Director of Research Office, University of Cumbria, Bowerham Road, Lancaster, LA1 3JD. diane.cox@cumbria.ac.uk

***

Looks interesting. How do I take part in the project? (Consent email)

Thanks! In order to confirm your participation (even just in an interview), please copy and paste the following text into a new email to me, and send it over. Don’t forget to add your name at the bottom of the message!

By sending this email to Dorian Cave, PhD researcher at the University of Cumbria, I confirm the following points:

• I have read and understood the Participant Information Sheet regarding the research project “How may online networks enable radical collective change through learning?”;
• I have been able to ask questions and have received enough information;
• I understand that I am free to withdraw from this study at any time, and without having to give a reason for withdrawal;
• My responses will be anonymised. I give permission for the researcher to analyse and quote my anonymous responses;
• I agree to participate in recorded interviews, which may include video interviews, and give permission for the researcher to analyse and quote my responses, under condition of maximum anonymity;
• I wish to take part in this research project, and feel I have had enough information about what is involved.

Deep Adaptation Forum

Page URL: https://engramseeker.wordpress.com/daf-participant-information-sheet/

As an important step in my research, I would like to work with my fellow members of the online community of the Deep Adaptation Forum (DAF), which is dedicated to enabling and embodying loving responses to societal collapse.

Through my communication and interaction with other members, I am hoping to shed some more light on the following issues:

1. Does DAF enable us to engage more deeply and fruitfully with the various aspects of our predicament, from the intellectual dimension to the relational, normative and societal dimensions?
2. Is this why most of us are participating in this network?
3. If so, can we find ways to improve how we engage with one another in this network, so that it may help us bring about the changes we seek, in ourselves and beyond?

I wish to work with anyone from the DAF who may be interested in these issues, mainly via teleconference and email, both individually and as groups. I guarantee full anonymity to every participant.

It is difficult for me to ensure complete anonymity, given how familiar many of us are with one another. However, I commit to doing my utmost in order to make any contributions to this research as anonymous as possible.

At the end of this research phase, I would like share the results we have obtained through a special report written specifically for the members of DAF.

Some questions you may have about the research project…

Why have you asked me to take part and what will I be required to do?

I believe that as a fellow active member of the DAF, you are ideally positioned to help our entire network/community better understand how we can make our network a better channel to achieve transformative change, especially through collective knowledge-sharing and learning.

So far, four main ways have emerged for participants to contribute to this research:

• As co-researchers. Such participants are intimately involved in co-designing this research, critically reflecting on it, taking action, and analysing findings;
• As interviewees or members of a Conscious Learning cohort. I am inviting volunteers and other DAF participants to chat in private interviews, and share with me their “learning journey.” This can lead to taking part in an informal Conscious Learning cohort, whose members pay special attention to how their learning journey is unfolding, and what resources are being most helpful in this process. Cohort members are also invited to host and attend special learning-focused webinars.
• As blog post writers. Anyone, including existing research participants, can take part in this research by publicly sharing their insights and learning journeys on the Conscious Learning Blog.
• As survey takers. Occasionally, anonymous surveys are being disseminated on DAF, inviting broader participation in this research.

What if I do not wish to take part or change my mind during the study?

Your participation in the study is entirely voluntary. You are free to withdraw from the study at any time without having to provide a reason for doing so.

What happens to the research data?

All research data will be treated in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation guidelines (which are summarised in this document).

Research data will consist mainly of:

• Audio recordings and minutes from interviews taking place between myself and other DAF members.

First of all, I will never use for this research any recorded information from conversations, meetings, or interviews involving you, without asking you first and saying exactly what it is I intend to use. In other words, I will seek your explicit consent before using anything you have communicated with me, and will request your feedback on how to use this information in the way that feels safest and most comfortable to you.

Only I, the researcher, will have access to the data. However, if I receive explicit consent in written form from you that you agree to share records from our conversations with my co-researchers, I will share this particular data with co-researchers through a secure cloud-based solution, in case it can facilitate our collective learning. No data will be shared without anyone’s explicit consent. The co-researchers and I are bound by the same privacy and confidentiality agreements that are expressed here.

I will provide full anonymity to all project participants. Anyone will be allowed to ask for the deletion of their own conversation records from the research files. In case of participants whose anonymity may be difficult to fully guarantee (because of the role they play in DAF, for example), I will happily discuss with you personally what data you are comfortable providing to this research on a case-by-case basis.

If you decide to withdraw from the project, I will offer you the option to have all your research contributions and conversation records deleted, if you so wish. Given the practical needs of having to write a PhD thesis, the deadline to make this request is October 15, 2021.

All data will be securely stored on my university OneDrive server, in encrypted form, until completion of my PhD program (expected date: October 2022).

• Conscious Learning blog posts:

By having any content published on the Conscious Learning blog, you agree to let me and my co-researchers analyse and quote from the material you publish for the purpose of this academic research project, under condition of maximum anonymity. However, if you decide to publish any content under your real name on the blog, please note that you will be forfeiting the possibility of anonymity for that particular content.

To have your material removed from the scope of this research, please delete it from this blog (or request its deletion, if you didn’t publish it yourself) by December 31, 2021.

Blog post data will be securely stored on the blog webserver, as well as on my computer, in encrypted form, until completion of my PhD program (expected date: October 2022).

• Data collected via surveys:

All data collected via surveys will be securely stored in encrypted form. This data will be fully anonymised. It will be used in priority by me (and my co-researchers) for this project, but may also be processed by staff or students of the University of Cumbria, or organisers of the DA Forum, or third parties which either entity contracts for the purposes of analysing the data. No other parties will have access to any of this data.

How will the research be reported?

I intend to communicate my research findings in the following ways:

1. Webinars organised at regular intervals;
2. A free report on the findings of each survey, shared on the Forum;
3. Occasional blog posts, shared on the DAF blog;
4. A final report, specially written for (and perhaps, together with) the members of the DAF (i.e. not made public elsewhere);
5. Through academic papers and conference presentations;
6. My PhD thesis, which will aggregate and synthesise the results of my research.

As pointed out above, I will guarantee full anonymacy to every project participant in these reports.

How can I find out more information?

Please contact me directly: dorian.cave@uni.cumbria.ac.uk

Who are the current co-researchers?

As of now (September 4, 2021), current co-researchers are Wendy Freeman and myself – Dorian Cavé.

What if I want to complain about the research?

Initially you should contact me (the researcher) directly. However, if you are not satisfied or wish to make a more formal complaint you should contact Dr Colette Conroy, Chair of Research Ethics Email: research.office@cumbria.ac.uk

***

Looks interesting. How do I participate in the project? (Consent email)

Thanks! In order to confirm your participation (for example, in case of an interview), please just copy and paste the following text into a new email to me, and send it over. Don’t forget to add your name at the bottom of the message!

By sending this email to Dorian Cave, PhD researcher at the University of Cumbria, I confirm the following points:

• I have read and understood the Participant Information Sheet regarding the research project “How may online networks enable radical collective change through learning?”
• I have been able to ask questions and have received enough information;
• I understand that I am free to withdraw from this study at any time, and without having to give a reason for withdrawal;
• My responses will be anonymised. I give permission for the researcher to analyse and quote my anonymous responses;
• I agree to participate in recorded interviews, which may include video interviews, and give permission for the researcher to analyse and quote my responses, under condition of maximum anonymity (video and audio recordings will not be made public);
• I agree to maintaining confidentiality about what I share and what I hear shared by others in the course of these research activities, and not to share information that could identify myself or others;
• I wish to take part in this research project, and feel I have had enough information about what is involved.