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You are invited to participate in a study about your feelings and experiences as a lesbian woman living in Canada, and voice any factors that impact you and your well-being as a lesbian woman. For example, there are questions about how hopeful you perceive yourself to be, and whether you perceive yourself to be flourishing. You also will be asked questions that address possible attitudes and behaviours that you might have been met with due to your sexual identity. For instance, there are some questions about direct experiences with prejudice and discrimination and potential feelings of stigmatization. Of key importance to us is hearing from you about the ways in which you cope with, and show resilience against, these factors. You must be at least 16 years of age to participate, and we thank you in advance for your participation. Please read this page carefully for information about the study and to learn about your rights as a participant in our study. 

Researchers: Dr. Melanie Morrison, Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Saskatchewan, Email: melanie.morrison@usask.ca; Dr. Todd Morrison, Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Saskatchewan, Email: todd.morrison@usask.ca.

Purpose of the Research:  The purpose of the present study is to develop an understanding of the factors that affect the well-being and functioning of Canadian lesbian women. Another objective is to promote the wellness of sexual minority persons residing in Canada.

Funded by: The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).

Procedures: You will be asked to fill out an online questionnaire. You also will be asked about a variety of experiences or feelings that you may have had, which involve potential positive feelings (e.g., pride, sense of community). You also will be asked about other experiences that are not often viewed as positive (e.g., experiences with discrimination). Finally, we are interested in understanding how you are coping and any resilience you enact when dealing with less positive life experiences. You are free to answer only those questions you are comfortable answering. The study will take approximately 20 minutes to complete. Please feel free to ask any questions regarding the procedures and goals of the study or your role in it by contacting the Principal Researcher at: melanie.morrison@usask.ca. 

Potential Risks: For some participants, there may be a feeling of discomfort when asked to recall some of the negative experiences that you might have had due to being a lesbian woman. You are free to skip any questions that you do not wish to answer, or exit the browser at any time. You will be provided with emergency resources to contact should you require immediate emotional assistance as well as a list of organizations and social groups you can contact if you would like additional support. Please consider downloading this PDF link to access the resources.

Crisis Services Canada’s toll-free help line is available 24 hours: 1-833-456-4566. An LGBTQ Support help line is available 4:00pm-9:30pm, Sunday-Friday: 1-800-268-9688. As well, you are encouraged to get in touch with the Researchers using their contact information provided above. We would be happy to speak to you about any issues that you may be experiencing due to your participation in our study. At the end of the study, you will receive a debriefing form which will explain the study in more depth. For any questions or concerns you may have, please also feel free to contact the Researchers using the information provided above.
Potential Benefits: Your participation in this study will allow us to gain a better understanding of the issues and factors that impact the mental and physical health of lesbian women living in Canada. Further, your involvement will enable us to document any discriminatory experiences so that we are able to give voice to your experiences, and work toward improving the well-being of lesbian Canadian persons.

Compensation:  Participants are invited to enter a draw for a chance to win one of five $100 prepaid Visa gift cards.

Anonymity and Confidentiality: This study will be facilitated using a popular survey company called SurveyMonkeyTM. This tool allows researchers to conduct fully anonymous surveys in which not even IP addresses are gathered. No personally-identifying information will ever be linked to the responses you provide; thus, each participant will remain anonymous in the database. Further, all responses will be combined together (aggregated), which means that the researchers have no way of identifying individual respondents. Please be advised that your email address will be stored separately and will not be linked with your survey responses, if you wish to enter the draw for one of the five gift cards.

Storage of Data:  The data will be kept on a password-encrypted computer for a minimum of seven years in Dr. Melanie Morrison’s research laboratory. Please be assured that the data will be safeguarded for that period of time, after which data storage policies will be followed in accordance with any journals in which the data are published. Any identifying information will not be included with the data. Only aggregate data will be used in any presentations about the research or in any journal articles.

Right to Withdraw: Your participation is absolutely voluntary, and please answer only those questions that you feel comfortable answering. You may withdraw from the study for any reason, at any time, without penalty of any kind. Once you complete the study, you will no longer have the option to withdraw your data, however, as they will be pooled anonymously with other participants’ responses.

Follow up: To obtain results from the study, please contact Dr. Melanie Morrison. Her email is: melanie.morrison@usask.ca.

Questions or Concerns: If you have any questions regarding the study, please feel free to contact the researchers at the email addresses provided above. This project was reviewed on ethical grounds by the U of S Behavioural Research Ethics Board. Any questions regarding your rights as a participant may be addressed to the Research Ethics Office toll free at 1-888-966-2975 or ethics.office@usask.ca. If you are interested in learning more about this study, please contact Dr. Melanie Morrison at the e-mail address provided at the top of this form and more details will be provided. You may also choose to send the primary researchers an e-mail to receive a summary of the results.

Consent to Participate: I have read and understood the description provided above. I consent to participate in the study described above, understanding that I may withdraw from the study at any time.

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