TITLE OF RESEARCH STUDY:  Linguistic components within the Server Persona

RESEARCH TEAM: Konstantia Kapetangianni, University of North Texas (UNT) Department of Linguistics (940) 565-4552, konstantia.kapetangianni@unt.edu. This project is part of a senior thesis being conducted under the supervision of Konstantia Kapetangianni. The Student Investigator of this project is Georgina Fullerton (817) 600-7346, GeorginaFullerton@my.unt.edu.

 

You are being asked to participate in a research study. Taking part in this study is voluntary. The investigators will explain the study to you and will any answer any questions you might have. It is your choice whether or not you take part in this study. If you agree to participate and then choose to withdraw from the study, that is your right, and your decision will not be held against you.

 

You are being asked to take part in a research study about the specific ways in which servers speak to their guests that differ from their normal speech.

Your participation in this research study involves answering questions in a survey about the way you speak to guests during the customer service encounter. This survey should take between 5-10 minutes. More details will be provided in the next section.

 

You might want to participate in this study if you are currently employed or have ever been previously employed as a server in the food industry. However, you might not want to participate in this study if you have never been employed in the service industry.

You may choose to participate in this research study if you are or ever have been employed as a server in the food industry.

The reasonable foreseeable risks or discomforts to you if you choose to take part is the fact that your responses will be confidential but cannot be guaranteed to be anonymous due to the collection of IP addresses within online survey software which you can compare to the possible benefit of increased information related to server speech and its creation.

You will not receive compensation for participation.

 

DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT THIS RESEARCH STUDY: The following is more detailed information about this study, in addition to the information listed above.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: The purpose of this study is to create a greater level of understanding as to how servers speak to their guests in a way that differs from their natural speech.

TIME COMMITMENT: Participation in this study is expected to last approximately 10 minutes. STUDY PROCEDURES: All participants will be asked to answer survey questions about which techniques of speech they use whilst talking to their guests. Participants may choose to skip any questions that may make them uncomfortable.

 

POSSIBLE BENEFITS: The benefits of this study may include increased understanding of how server speech is created within the customer service encounter.

 

POSSIBLE RISKS/DISCOMFORTS: The foreseeable risks of this research study include the fact that the responses cannot be guaranteed as anonymous, but instead confidential as IP addresses are collected by the survey. The results of the survey and any IP addresses or information about respondents will only be accessible by the PI or Student Investigator. No personally identifiable information (PII) will be recorded. All data will be stored in a secure location at the University of North Texas’ campus. The confidentiality of your individual information will be maintained in any publications or presentations regarding this study.

 

If you experience excessive discomfort when completing the research activity, you may choose to stop participating at any time without penalty. The researchers will try to prevent any problem that could happen, but the study may involve risks to the participant, which are currently unforeseeable. UNT does not provide medical services, or financial assistance for emotional distress or injuries that might happen from participating in this research. If you need to discuss your discomfort further, please contact a mental health provider, or you may contact the researcher who will refer you to appropriate services.  If your need is urgent, helpful resources include UNT Health Center (940) 565-2333.

Remember that you have the right to withdraw any study procedures at any time without penalty, and may do so by informing the research team.

 

COMPENSATION: There is no compensation offered for participation in this study. There are no alternative activities offered for this study.

 

CONFIDENTIALITY: Efforts will be made by the research team to keep your personal information private, including research study survey responses and disclosure will be limited to people who have a need to review this information. All paper and electronic data collected from this study will be stored in a secure location on the UNT campus and/or a secure UNT server for at least three (3) years past the end of this research on a password protected computer in PI’s campus office. Research records will be labeled with a pseudonym and the master key linking names with codes will be maintained in a separate and secure location. Confidentiality will be maintained to the degree possible given the technology and practices used by the online survey company. Your participation in this online survey involves risks to confidentiality similar to a person’s everyday use of the internet.

 

The results of this study may be published and/or presented without naming you as a participant. The data collected about you for this study may be used for future research studies that are not described in this consent form. If that occurs, an IRB would first evaluate the use of any information that is identifiable to you, and confidentiality protection would be maintained.

 

While absolute confidentiality cannot be guaranteed, the research team will make every effort to protect the confidentiality of your records, as described here and to the extent permitted by law.  In addition to the research team, the following entities may have access to your records, but only on a need-to-know basis:  the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the FDA (federal regulating agencies), the reviewing IRB, and sponsors of the study.

 

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STUDY:  If you have any questions about the study you may contact Georgina Fullerton at GeorginaFullerton@my.unt.edu or (817) 600-7346. Any questions you have regarding your rights as a research subject, or complaints about the research may be directed to the Office of Research Integrity and Compliance at 940-565-4643, or by email at untirb@unt.edu.

 

CONSENT:

●       Your signature below indicates that you have read, or have had read to you all of the above. 

●       You confirm that you have been told the possible benefits, risks, and/or discomforts of the study.

●       You understand that you do not have to take part in this study and your refusal to participate or your decision to withdraw will involve no penalty or loss of rights or benefits.

●       You understand your rights as a research participant and you voluntarily consent to participate in this study; you also understand that the study personnel may choose to stop your participation at any time.

●       By signing, you are not waiving any of your legal rights.

 

Please sign below if you are at least 18 years of age and voluntarily agree to participate in this study.

 

 

 

SIGNATURE OF PARTICIPANT                                                                                               DATE

 

*If you agree to participate, please provide a signed copy of this form to the researcher team.  They will provide you with a copy to keep for your records.

 

Do you work (or have you ever worked) in the food service  industry?