You are invited to take part in a research study conducted as part of an undergraduate dissertation at Liverpool Hope University. Before deciding whether to take part, please read the following information carefully. Your participation is voluntary.

Purpose of the Study
This study explores how young adults aged 18–28 in Northern Ireland understand their political identity, how they view peace‑building, and whether family experiences of the Troubles have shaped these views. As noted in the research background, many young people describe “a pervasive ‘silence’ in the home” around past events, and this study aims to understand how such experiences influence identity and attitudes today.

The dissertation examines how “old wounds” may be transmitted through family narratives and socio‑economic context, and how these factors shape the political identities and attitudes of the post‑Agreement generation.

What Participation Involves
• You will complete an anonymous online survey lasting 10–12 minutes.
• All questions use a Strongly Disagree → Strongly Agree scale unless otherwise stated.
• You may skip any question you prefer not to answer.
• No identifying information (name, IP address, contact details) will be collected.

Anonymous Withdrawal Code
To allow you to withdraw your data anonymously at a later date, you will be asked to create a unique 4‑digit code at the start of the survey (e.g., 4729).
This code will be stored with your responses.
If you later decide you would like your data removed, you can contact the researcher and provide this code.
Because the survey is anonymous, this code is the only way your data can be identified and withdrawn.

Voluntary Participation & Right to Withdraw
Participation is entirely voluntary. You may withdraw at any point before submitting the survey by closing your browser.
After submission, you may withdraw your data at any time before analysis begins by contacting the researcher and providing your 4‑digit code.

If this is required, please contact:

Éimear Gorman

22012671@hope.ac.uk

Confidentiality & Anonymity
In line with Liverpool Hope University’s Research Ethics Policy:
• Your responses are fully anonymous.
• No identifiable information will be collected.
• Data will be reported only in aggregated or anonymised form.
• No quotes will be used that could identify you.

Data Protection & GDPR Compliance
This study complies with the UK GDPR and the University’s data protection requirements.

Your data will be:
• stored securely on password‑protected university systems
• accessible only to the researcher and academic supervisor
• used solely for academic research
• retained until 16/04/2026 and then securely deleted

Ethical Approval
This project has been reviewed and approved by the School Research Ethics Sub‑Committee at Liverpool Hope University.

Consent Statement
By selecting “I agree to participate”, you confirm that:
• you are aged 18 or over
• you have read and understood the information above
• you understand participation is voluntary
• you understand you may withdraw at any time before submission
• you understand you may withdraw your data later using your 4‑digit code
• you consent to your anonymous data being used for academic research