Informed Consent Form
Title of Project: “The Religious Lives of Ozarks Women”
The purpose of this study is to document brief oral histories of women who have
impacted religious life in the Ozarks. This may also include women who have roots in
the Ozarks, but are impacting religious life outside the Ozarks region.
Investigators: The investigators for this project are students in REL 370 (Women and
Religion) at Missouri State University during the Spring 2014 semester, as well as their
instructor Lora Hobbs Senior Instructor in the Department of Religious Studies.
Research Procedure: You will be interviewed for approximately 60 minutes (in some
cases less and in some cases more). Besides basic questions about your background and
occupation, you will be asked open-ended questions on the following topics: religious
beliefs, religious music in your life, significant religious events and rituals, involvement
in religious groups, personal religious practice, religious service and ministry, significant
religious places, and spiritual mentors.
Benefits / Risks: The primary benefit to you is the value of preserving your stories for
historical record in the increasing body of historical collections about life in the Ozarks
region. Your participation in this project will also benefit future generations and
researchers as they increase their understanding of the unique experiences of religious
women in the Ozarks region.
There are no major risks to you if you choose to participate. It is important that you
understand that this interview information will be available to the public through an
archive at the Meyer Library on the Missouri State University campus in Springfield
called the Archive of the Religious Lives of Ozarks Women. In addition, a synopsis of
the interview, as well as your name and decade of birth will also be available to the
public on an on-line archive called The Religious Lives of Ozarks Women that is
administered through Missouri State University. You may view this web-site at
http://www.missouristate.edu/relst/ozarkswomen.
Voluntary Participation: Participation in this project is voluntary. You may choose to
withdraw from the project at any time by contacting your student interviewer or her / his
instructor Lora Hobbs at 417-836-4876 or LoraHobbs@missouristate.edu.
The goal of this project is for students to generate interview material from women who
have impacted religious life in the Ozarks. With your permission, we would like to place
your recorded interview, a typed transcript of your interview (typed by your student
interviewer), a photo of yourself, any other related materials (newspaper articles, church
bulletins, photographs, etc.) and a synopsis of your interview written by your student
interviewer in an archive at Meyer Library Special Collections at the Missouri State
University campus. The on-line archive, administered through the Department of
Religious Studies at Missouri State University, will contain your name, the decade of
your birth and a 2-page synopsis of your interview written by your interviewer. With
your permission, we would also like to use materials from this project in any future
public presentations or publications associated with the project. Once the student has
transcribed the interview, you may read through it and choose to delete or add material
according to your preference.
You have two options in terms of usage of information from this project:
Option 1 ___ I grant permission for my interview to be recorded and transcribed and for
its contents, as well as any other related materials, to be used in a class paper (by your
interviewer) and deposited in the Meyer Library Special Collections Archive of The
Religious Lives of Ozarks Women. I also grant permission for my name, decade of birth
and a brief synopsis written by my student interviewer to be placed on an on-line archive
also called The Religious Lives of Ozarks Women. In addition, these materials may be
used for any future public presentations or publications associated with the project.
Option 2 ___ I grant permission for all items listed in option 1, except the following:
I am fully aware of the nature and extent of my participation in this project as stated
above and the benefits and risks associated with it. I hereby agree to participate in this
project. I acknowledge that I have received a copy of this consent statement. I am 18
years of age or older.
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(Signature of participant)
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(Date)
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(Printed Name of participant)
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(Signature of Investigator)
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(Date)