Ways to invite your students to take the survey
1) Invite them by email (be prepared for a disappointing response rate).
Suggested text:
Dear student,
Thank you for your participation in a community-based research (CBR) project in my class. I
am writing to invite you to take a short survey to help us understand the impact of CBR on
students. (Name of College or University) is participating in a national project, led by
Princeton University, to measure the outcomes of community-based research, and we
would like to hear about your experience. Here is a link to the survey:
https://princetonsurvey.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_a4txOrNQjHzVhrK
It should take about 3 minutes to complete and includes space for you to comment. We
appreciate your honest responses to the questions in the survey. This research has been
approved by Princeton University’s Institutional Review Board for Human Subjects.
All responses are completely confidential. Your participation or not will have no effect on
your grades or future support from me or my department as we have no way of tracking
your participation.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
You, Your College or University
2) Take five minutes in class for them to take the survey online. Say the
invitation above out loud.
3) Distribute the survey on paper. Use the same invitatory text and
include an informed consent form as the first page of the survey.
Here is what the informed consent should say:
CONSENT TO PARTICIPATE (required for Human Subjects Approval)
TITLE OF RESEARCH:
Community-Based Research Learning Outcomes
INVESTIGATORS: Gary Lichtenstein and Trisha Thorme.
The following informed consent is required for any person invited to participate in a research
study conducted at Princeton University. This study has been approved by the University's
Institutional Review Panel for Human Subjects (IRP case #4687).
For this study, you will be completing a short survey about the impact of your participation in
community-based research. This survey is part of a national study on the outcomes of CBR. The
research is based at Princeton but involves several universities that participate in CBR. Your
answers will be very important in helping colleges and universities design CBR programs. This
survey will take up to 3 minutes to complete.
Your survey and your responses will be completely confidential.
If you have any questions before or after you complete this survey, please email me, Gary
Lichtenstein, at gdl482-CBR@yahoo.com. When the results of the study are reported, you will
not be identified by name or any other information that could be used to infer your identity.
By clicking the box below you acknowledge that you have read and understand that:
• Your participation in this survey is voluntary. You may withdraw your consent and discontinue
participation in the survey at any time. Your refusal to participate will not result in any penalty.
• You do not waive any legal rights or release Princeton University, its agents, or the investigator
from liability for negligence.
• You have given consent to be a participant in this research.
I give my consent to participate: I'll take the survey
I do not consent to participate: I will not take the survey