INFORMATION SHEET FOR QUESTIONNAIRE PARTICIPANTS
REC Reference Number:[INSERT ONCE PROVIDED BY REVIEW BODY]
YOU WILL BE GIVEN A COPY OF THIS INFORMATION SHEET
British Badger Culling – History and Perspectives
We would like to invite you to participate in this undergraduate research project. You should only
participate if you want to; choosing not to take part will not disadvantage you in any way. Before
you decide whether you want to take part, it is important for you to understand why the research is
being done and what your participation will involve. Please take time to read the following
information carefully and discuss it with others if you wish. Ask us if there is anything that is not
clear or if you would like more information.
This study aims to form a balanced assessment of the historical, social and geographical context
of Britain’s relationship with Badgers whether they are considered pests, bio-hazards or
endangered wild-life and a respected indigenous species. A series of interviews and
questionnaires will attempt to gauge the variety of public opinion in both newly instated ‘pilot cull’
areas of west Gloucestershire and west Somerset as well as interviews with some influential
members of organisations with both pro and anti-cull perspectives.
This is a self-funded, undergraduate project conducted as part of a dissertation project at Kings
College London.
For the purposes of this questionnaire, I intend to recruit both local people, visitors to both ‘pilot
cull’ areas and protestors, all above the age of 18 with no upper age limit. You will be handed, or
emailed, a short questionnaire to complete and, if possible, invited to a short interview. All
questionnaires will be entirely anonymous and no personal data will be collected. Submission of a
completed questionnaire implies consent to participate and As participation is anonymous it will
not be possible for us to withdraw your data once you have returned your questionnaire.
The risks involved in taking part are minimal and mitigated by the total anonymity of
questionnaires, which will be collected indirectly via the use of a submission box. It has been
reported that some individuals have experienced harassment as a result of their involvement, on
either side, with the Badger Cull debate, any potential or reported incidents of this kind will be
taken very seriously by the researcher and reported to the Police.
If you choose to take part in this research, you may benefit from airing your views and submitting
them to a study dedicated to representing both sides of the issue. You may also wish to receive a
copy of the final report, if so please send a request email to ****.****@kcl.ac.uk.
It is up to you to decide whether to take part or not. If you decide to take part you are still free to
withdraw from the study at any time and without giving a reason.
If you have any questions or require more information about this study, please contact the
researcher using the following contact details: ******* *********, ****.****@kcl.ac.uk
If this study has harmed you in any way, you can contact King's College London using the details
below for further advice and information: ******* *********, ****.****@kcl.ac.uk
King’s College London - Research Ethics
2012/2013/1
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