Project title: The State of Literacy in Nova Scotia: A Delphi Study Lead researcher: Dr. Sandra Toze, Department of Information Science, Dalhousie University (Sandra.toze@dal.ca) Other researchers
Jayne Hunter, Literacy Nova Scotia (jayne.hunter@literacyns.ca), Maddie Hare, Department of Information Science, Dalhousie University (maddie.hare@dal.ca), Dr. Wendy Kraglund-Gauthier, Faculty of Education, Yorkville University (wkraglund-gauthier@yorkvilleu.ca), Dr. Alison Brown, Department of Information Science, Dalhousie University (alisonbrown@dal.ca), Lindsay McNiff, Dalhousie Libraries, Dalhousie University (Lindsay.mcniff@dal.ca), Lisa Taylor, Department of Information Science, Dalhousie University (ls799716@dal.ca) Funding provided by: SSHRC Partnership Engage Grant (92-2024-3120) and the Yorkville University Support for Scholarly Activities Fund. Introduction
We invite you to participate in a research study conducted by Dr. Sandra Toze, a Principal Investigator at Dalhousie University. Participation in this study is completely voluntary. This section provides detailed information about the study, your role in it, and the benefits and risks of participation. Should you have any questions about the study, please feel free to discuss them with Sandra Toze or any member of the research team. Purpose and Outline of the Research Study
This study uses a community consultation (Delphi) methodology to gather and analyze expert opinions on literacy assessment methods and data collection strategies. The goal is to use insights from this study to inform the production of a recurring report on the state of literacy in the province. We hope to gather diverse insights from across Nova Scotia, which will contribute to a robust understanding of the literacy landscape. This study will be conducted in two rounds: 1) a survey to gather initial insights, and 2) a culminating engagement session that gathers experts from across the province to discuss insights from Round 1. This consent form pertains only to participation in Round 1. Who Can Take Part in the Research Study
You are eligible to participate if you self-identify as having direct experience/involvement (within the last five years or present) in paid or unpaid literacy-related work in Nova Scotia (e.g., literacy practitioners, educators, academics, library staff, policymakers, government staff, literacy-related organization staff). What You Will Be Asked to Do
If you agree to participate in this study, you will be asked to fill out an online survey that will take approximately 15-20 minutes of your time to complete. You are invited to complete the survey at any time that is convenient for you. You will only be able to fill out the survey once. During the survey, you will be asked multiple-choice and open-ended questions about literacy in the province of Nova Scotia. Possible Benefits, Risks, and Discomforts
There are no direct personal benefits expected from your participation in this study, but your input may contribute to broader knowledge and improvements in literacy assessment in Nova Scotia. The risks associated with participation are minimal, primarily involving potential discomfort discussing literacy-related topics. Measures such as short breaks during the online survey are suggested to minimize any discomfort. Incentives / Reimbursement
Participants will not receive any financial compensation for their involvement in this study. However, you will have access to the study's findings which will be made publicly available and may benefit your personal or professional understanding and practices relating to literacy. How your information will be protected:
All information you provide will be handled confidentially. Only the research team at Literacy Nova Scotia, Dalhousie University, and Yorkville University will have access to individual data, which will be stored securely at Dalhousie University. No identifiable information will be collected, and all participant responses will be assigned an anonymous identifier. Study results will be presented in aggregated form, ensuring that no individual participant can be identified, and if individual data examples are used, they will be anonymized as much as possible. Once the study is completed, the anonymized data will be retained for a period of five years, as per Dalhousie University’s research data retention policy. After this period, the data will be permanently deleted from all our systems. This retention period ensures that the data can be revisited if any issues or questions arise regarding the findings, but is not kept for longer than necessary. After 5 years, all digital data will be permanently deleted using data destruction software that ensures complete removal, and all physical documents (e.g., consent forms) will be shredded. If You Decide to Stop Participating
You are free to withdraw from the study at any time. Incomplete surveys will not be used, and their data will be destroyed. By completing the online survey you agree to your data being used. We will not collect the names or contact information of any survey participants, so it will be impossible to attribute you to your data once the survey has been submitted. How to Obtain Results
Study results will be published and publicly available through academic journals and presentations, and published on the Literacy Nova Scotia website. We anticipate that published results will be available between 12-18 months after the data collection process. Questions
If you have any questions about the survey, please contact LFNS@dal.ca
Participants can also direct questions about the study directly to Dr. Sandra Toze (sandra.toze@dal.ca), Jayne Hunter (jayne.hunter@literacyns.ca), or Dr. Wendy Kraglund-Gauthier (wkraglund-gauthier@yorkvilleu.ca). If you have any ethical concerns about your participation in this research, you may contact Research Ethics, Dalhousie University at (902) 494-3423, or email: ethics@dal.ca (and reference REB file # 2025-8126). By clicking on the button to start the survey, I indicate my consent to participate in the research. | 