Academic Librarians' Perceptions about Publishing in Preprint Repositories

LETTER OF INFORMATION / CONSENT

Principal Investigator:  
Casey Hoeve
McMaster University Library
McMaster University
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
(905) 525-9140 ext. 21159
E-mail: hoevec@mcmaster.ca

Co-Investigator:
Nicole Doro
McMaster University Library
McMaster University
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
(905) 525-9140 ext. 23085
E-mail: dorone@mcmaster.ca  

Purpose of the Study: 

You are invited to take part in this study on academic librarians’ perceptions of preprint repositories for library and information sciences. While there is a substantial body of literature documenting uptake of myriad forms of green open access such as institutional repositories, subject based / preprint repositories, academic social networking sites, and the ways in which librarians help promote and facilitate access to such repositories, there is scant literature exploring librarian’s use of preprint repositories with a focus on library and information science content areas. The present study aims to address this gap in the literature. 

Procedures involved in the Research: 

This online survey will take approximately 5-10 minutes to complete; all questions are optional. No personal information will be collected; your responses will remain anonymous.

Potential Harms, Risks or Discomforts: 

It is not likely that there will be any harms or discomforts from/associated with this survey.

You do not need to answer questions that you do not want to answer or that make you feel uncomfortable. All questions are optional.

Potential Benefits:

The research will not benefit you directly. We hope to learn more about use of subject based preprint repositories in the library and information science field to better promote open access within the field of librarianship. 

Confidentiality:

You are participating in this research anonymously. No one, including the investigators, will know that you participated. Once the study is complete, an archive of the data will be maintained.

Participation and Withdrawal: 

Your participation in this study is voluntary. Once you have submitted your responses for this anonymous survey, your answers will be put into a database and will not be identifiable. This means that once you have submitted your survey, your responses cannot be withdrawn from the study because we will not be able to identify which responses are yours. 

Information about the Study Results: 

We expect to have this study completed by approximately September 2024. If you would like a brief summary of the results, please contact Principal Investigator Casey Hoeve (hoevec@mcmaster.ca), and a copy of the anonymized findings will be sent to you.  

Questions about the Study: If you have questions or need more information about the study itself, please contact me at:

This study has been reviewed by the McMaster Research Ethics Board and received ethics clearance under project 7019. If you have concerns or questions about your rights as a participant or about the way the study is conducted, please contact: 

McMaster Research Ethics Office
Telephone: (905) 525-9140 ext. 23142
E-mail: mreb@mcmaster.ca
 

CONSENT 

• I have read the information presented in the information letter about a study being conducted by Casey Hoeve and Nicole Doro of McMaster University.  

• I have had the opportunity to ask questions about my involvement in this study and to receive additional details I requested.  

• I understand that if I agree to participate in this study, I may withdraw from the study at any time until I submit my responses, but once my responses have been submitted, they cannot be withdrawn due to the anonymous nature of the study.

• By clicking ‘next,’ you agree to participate in the study.