PI sheet
Quarantine and Early Development in Toddlers
Department of Psychology, Health and Professional Development
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences
Oxford Brookes University
Researcher: Dr Nayeli Gonzalez-Gomez,
Email: ngonzalez-gomez@brookes.ac.uk
Quarantine and Early Development in Toddlers
Dear parent/guardian,
We are conducting a new study exploring the effects of the lockdown on infants' development. We would like to invite you and your child to be involved in this study. Before you decide whether or not to take part, it is important for you to understand why the research is being done and what it will involve. Please take time to read the following information carefully.
This is a project in connection with the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) and the impact of school and nursery closures implemented by the government on 20/03/2020. You can answer this questionnaire whilst social distancing.
What is the purpose of the study?
We want to test 600 families to investigate how school/nursery closure and social distancing can affect development in children aged 8-36 months. If your child does not normally attend nursery, you can still participate in this study.
Why have I been invited to participate?
Because you are the parent/guardian of a child aged between 8 and 36 months.
Do I have to take part?
Your participation is entirely voluntary. You will be free to withdraw at any time by closing your Internet browser, without giving a reason.
What will happen if we take part?
Participation in this study involves you as a parent/guardian filling out an online questionnaire about you and your child. The questionnaire includes questions about:
a) Information about yourself and your family (for example, number of siblings, spoken languages…)
b) Words that your child understands/says.
c) Your child’s sleep routine
d) Your child’s behaviour during the last weeks.
e) Activities during the lockdown
f) Your mental health and stress.
You will also be asked to:
1) Play 3 games with your child and then report back on what they did.
2) To video-record a 10-minute session with you and your child during everyday activities to get a snapshot of life during this exceptional time. You can make the recording whenever you choose: as you prepare a meal, while you eat, as you do jobs around the house or during play or story time, it’s up to you!
The video-recording is completely optional. If you decide to do so, once you complete the questionnaire you will be sent a link to a secure form for you to upload your video.
The questionnaire will take approximately 2 hours to complete. You can complete the questionnaire all at once, or a bit at a time, we just ask that you complete the whole thing within 1 week of starting, since a lot can change in that time. If you need to take a break whilst completing the questionnaire, you can leave the browser and return to complete it later. If you would like to continue later, copy the questionnaire link and save it. Please make sure to open it using the same device and browser when you return to complete the questionnaire. If you can't find your questionnaire, please email us on babylab@brookes.ac.uk and we will send you a link to continue.
What are the possible disadvantages and risks of taking part?
Other than the time you will have to give up to complete the study (approximately 2 hours), there are no other disadvantages of taking part in the study.
What are the possible benefits of taking part?
You will benefit by learning something about early language development and gaining insight into the nature of psychological research. When you complete the questionnaire, you will also be told the number of words that your child understands and says.
Will I be paid to participate in this study?
Yes, you will receive a £30 Amazon Voucher on completion of the study via email. This is possible thanks to the support of the Economic and Social Research Council.
Will what I say in this study be kept confidential?
All information which is collected about you and your baby will be kept strictly confidential. Confidentiality, privacy and anonymity will be ensured in the collection, storage and publication of research material (subject to legal limitations). All data will only be accessed by the research team. All data gathered will be identified by a code only, and therefore used anonymously as a group data. All data will be kept securely in Google Drive, for which the University has a security agreement. All data files will be encrypted and password protected.
All data generated by the study will be retained following the University's policy on Academic Integrity. It will be kept securely in electronic form for a period of ten years after the completion of a research project. Anonymous data files will be used for academic archiving and stored using UK Data Service. This archive is not publicly available and data will be used only for academic (rather than commercial) use.
What should I do if I want to take part?
If you wish to take part in the study, please read and complete the consent form below and complete the questionnaire.
What will happen to the results of the research study?
A summary of our findings will be available for interested families via our website (https://babylab.brookes.ac.uk/) and Social Media accounts (Facebook and Twitter). We also aim to publish our findings in scientific journals, but this may take up to three years from the end of the study. Please note that this study is being conducted in collaboration with researchers at the University of Oxford, University of East Anglia, University of Leeds and University of Warwick and that they will have access to the anonymised data.
Who is organising and funding the research?
I am conducting the research as a member of staff at the Department of Psychology. All researchers, including research assistants, who help us collecting and analysing the data, have DBS (previously CRB) clearance. This research is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.
Who has reviewed the study?
This study has been approved by the University Research Ethics Committee (UREC) at Oxford Brookes University. If you have any concerns about this please contact the Chair of the Ethics Committee: ethics@brookes.ac.uk
Contact for Further Information
If you want to discuss the research further you can contact: Dr. Nayeli Gonzalez-Gomez, e-mail: ngonzalez-gomez@brookes.ac.uk
If you have any concerns about your or your child’s mental health, or would like further support, you can contact:
· The Samaritans: visit www.samaritans.org or call 116 123.
· Mind: email info@mind.org.uk or call 0300 123 3393.
· Family Lives: email askus@familylives.org.uk or call 0808 800 2222 for emotional support, information, advice and guidance on any aspect of parenting and family life.
· NSPCC: email help@nspcc.org.uk or call 0808 800 5000. If you're worried about a child, even if you're unsure, contact our professional counsellors for help, advice and support.
You can also visit: www.youngminds.org.uk and www.emergingminds.org.uk for their resources list.
Thank you!
Dr. Nayeli Gonzalez-Gomez
May 2020 (Version 2)