Contributors

Hi,

Thank-you for taking the time to consider contributing to this research.  This page provides answers to a set of Frequently Asked Questions that I hope will help you towards confirming your participation.  If the question you need answering isn’t listed, please do not hesitate to contact me. If you decide to go ahead, please complete the Consent Form or contact me directly and I will arrange to meet you at your convenience.

Many thanks!  Paul.

Frequently Asked Questions

“An investigation of knowledge acquisition by small-business owner/managers”

The purpose of the study.
You are being invited to take part in an auto/biographical research study. Before you decide to take part, it is important for you to understand why the research is being performed and what it will involve.

Please take the time to read the following information carefully and discuss it with others if you wish. Please contact me if there is anything that is not clear or if you would require further information. Thank you for reading this.

Why have I been asked?
You have been asked to take part in this research as you are representative of an owner/manager of a small business.  Your business profile, as far as I am aware, fits within the parameters of those I wish to research.

What will happen to me if I take part?
The research methodology uses individual discussions to explore your biography related to learning during your life. Questions will be broadly focused to allow exploration, and areas for consideration will be presented in the letter given to you two weeks before the meeting date so you have time to think about your responses. Your responses may require clarification so the exploration may be enriched by further questions during the meeting which are as yet unknown and by two subsequent meetings.

As the researcher I will draw on my own experience to assist this process – this is the ‘auto’ section of the autobiographical approach. The location of the discussion will be yours to decide – I am happy to come to your home, or arrange another location where privacy can be maintained.

Interviews will be taped and then transcribed (typed up). After transcription the script will be returned to you to allow you to check that it is accurate. Alterations can be made at this point – including the removal of information that you subsequently do not want shared.

What do I have to do?
Attend the interviews, answer the questions as fully as you are comfortable with and read the transcript to ensure it is accurate.

What are the possible disadvantages /risk of taking part?
In talking about your experiences of learning, there maybe areas of your life that you are not comfortable sharing – if our conversation strays towards these areas please tell me directly that you do not wish to discuss them. If I am uncertain about your comfort during the discussion I will ask you if you are happy to continue. Although you are signing a consent form to take part in this research you can withdraw this at any point, including before, during or after the interview, after reading the transcription or before publication of any results.

What are the possible advantages / benefits of taking part?
By taking part in this research your biography will help inform me in the development of my thesis to establish a body of knowledge about the learning and development of owner/managers of small businesses. This may inform future local and/or national educational provision in Further Education and/or Higher Education for SME professional development. In addition it is likely that the experiences we discuss may allow reflection on your lifelong learning and may help you understand some of the decisions / factors that have influenced your business life.

Will what I say in the study be kept confidential?
Yes.  Your contact, identification details and taped records will be held separately to any transcript and kept in a locked filing-cabinet.  Your transcript will be given a generic coding such as “Mr X, Freight Forwarder” or “Mrs Y, Retail Sales” rendering identification impossible and will be held on a secure, encrypted PC.  At no time in the future will your real identity be used within the study.

Upon completion of the Ed.D programme your personal details will be destroyed.

What will happen to the results of the research study?
The results will be presented in my thesis that I am currently undertaking as final part of a Doctorate in Education. Further publications and dissemination of the results may be possible during and after this time.

Who is organising and funding the study?
I will personally be organising and funding this research.

Who has reviewed the study?
The study has been reviewed by colleagues on the Doctorate in Education at university and by my supervisor  who is expert in education-research methods.

In addition the research proposal has been subjected to university ethical review by the Faculty of Education Ethics Committee.