Esther Tan and Samantha Tillman

Informed Participation

Our team will inform the participants about the purpose of our research before they participate. We will inform the participants about what we are trying to find out from the research. The participants will be informed that the purpose of the research is to find out whether social media like Facebook influences the beauty standards of teenage girls and if it changes their views of body image. The teenage girls will also be told that the research will not judge them for who they are or their opinions. The girls involved in the research will know that an experiment is conducted for research to be collected. They will also know that their names will not be revealed.

Voluntary Participation

Participants will be informed that they have the right to not participate in the research. The participants will know that their participation is not mandatory and there is no consequence for not participating. We will tell the potential participants that they can be part of the research if they are willing to and that they may opt out any time after the research has begun.

Confidentiality and Anonymity

The identity of the research participants will only be known by the researchers. The names of the participants will not be mentioned in the results or data collected.

Protection from harm

The participants may be affected emotionally; therefore we will ensure that the participants know that they are not being judged based on what they say in the experiment.

Participation of children

Since our site of study is at a high school, the children’s gatekeeper is the principal and teachers. We will ask for the principal and teachers’ approval to work with the students. We will make sure that all the female students are given approval to participate in the experiment. We will ensure that the children are actively consenting by informing the children that they are not obligated to participate in the experiment even if the principal and teacher have given them permission to.

Impartiality

As researchers, we may be bias in the ways we interpret the data from the experiment. We will ensure that our biases will not influence the findings by not ignoring the data that we think may not support our own views.

Data Security

The identity of the children that decide to participate will be kept in encrypted files. Paper results and data from the experiment will be stored in locked filing cabinets that require access codes.  The access codes will only be known by the researchers.

Dissemination and use of research

Our research could be misused by others and interpreted in ways that we do not want. Therefore, we will prevent that by making sure those who view our research will not publish or use our findings without our consent.