Project Title:
Setting an agenda for disability-focused research in Antarctic Social Sciences and Humanities.
Research team:
Primary researcher: Dr Alice Oates, UK
Supervisor: Dr Pedro Marques-Quinteiro, Intrepid Lab, Lusofona University, Lisbon University Center, Lisbon, Portugal
Contact information: antarcticdisabilityproject@gmail.com
Invitation to participate:
You are being invited to participate in this project because you are part of the Antarctic research community. Before you decide to take part in this study it is important for you to understand why this research is being done, by who, and what it will involve. Please take time to read the following information carefully and discuss it with others if you wish.
A member of the team can be contacted if there is anything that is not clear or if you would like more information.
Take time to decide whether or not you wish to take part. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the organisers before deciding to take part.
How long will this take?
This survey contains 10 questions and should take approximate 10 - 20 minutes to complete, depending on how detailed your answers are, as some questions are open-ended.
This is page 1, which provides information about the project.
Page 2 asks you to give consent to participating in the project. You will not be able to proceed without completing this page in full.
Page 3 contains 6 questions related to demographic information such as your job description and disability status, and is completely optional.
Page 4 contains the 4 main questions relating to the research project. While all questions are optional, we do ask that you complete this section in as much detail as possible.
Page 5 allows you to sign up to the project mailing list and register an interest in further participation, and is completely optional.
Purpose of the study
This study is funded by a Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) Early-Career Researcher Fellowship. The aim of this project is to identify priority research questions relating to disability inclusion within the Antarctic research sector. This includes questions relating to barriers to inclusion, current experiences of people with disabilities within the sector, and future priorities for researchers and institutions to address. We are conducting this study because disability is an understudied aspect of the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) agenda within Antarctic Social Sciences and Humanities research. Understanding barriers to inclusion and the experiences of people with disabilities is necessary for progressing the EDI agenda and creating meaningful change within the Antarctic research sector. This study aims to create a foundation for that work.
This study is not limited in scope to any specific country or institution, and participation is encouraged by anyone whose work falls within the Antarctic research sector.
Do I have to take part?
Taking part is entirely voluntary and refusal or withdrawal will involve no penalty or loss, now or in the future.
Are there possible disadvantages and/or risks in taking part?
There are no risks in taking part, as all data will be anonymised. You are not required to provide your name and contact details unless you wish to further participate in this project.
What are the possible benefits of taking part?
There is no direct benefit to the participant in taking part. The researchers hope that this work will inspire future research on, and practical changes to improve, disability inclusion with Antarctic research, but given the short-term nature of the Fellowship we cannot make guarantees regarding outcomes beyond the immediate duration of the Fellowship.
What will happen to the results of the research project?
Results will be presented at conferences and written up in academic journals. The primary intended output will be a journal article identifying a research agenda for disability-focused research within Antarctic Humanities and Social Sciences, but other outputs may follow. Results will also be presented to the public, for example through outreach in schools, blogs, or social media. Participants will not be identified in publications, and will be provided with the details of publications as and when they appear.
The anonymised data collected during the course of the project may be used for additional or subsequent research related to the goals and outputs of the project, including in collaboration with other researchers. Email addresses provided for communication purposes will not be shared beyond the research team.
Who is organising and funding the research?
This research is funded by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), in the form of an Early-Career Researcher Fellowship awarded to Alice Oates.
Ethical review of the study
The project has been reviewed by the Universidade Lusofona Ethics Committee.