Information sheet

You are being invited to take part in a BSc Hons Sport, Physical Activity and Health research study. Before you decide whether you would like to take part, it is important that you understand what the research is for and what you will be asked to do. Please read the following information carefully and do not hesitate to ask any questions about anything that might not be clear to you. Make sure that you are happy and fully understand the information given before deciding if you wish to take part. Thank you for taking the time to consider this research study.
What is the purpose of the study?
The objective of this research is to compare if mental health has a greater impact on athletes’ motivation when playing team sports or individual sports. Self-reported anxiety, depression, and wellbeing will be examined between participants in individual sports (boxing) and team sports (football). Furthermore, motives for participating in sports include meeting friends and being a member of a team, as well as completing a task and enjoying the benefits of involvement.
Why have I been chosen?
You have been chosen for this study as you have replied to the emails and correspondence for recruiting participants. You have been chosen for this study because you satisfy the admission criteria in terms of must play a team or individual sport for at least 2 years, you are at least 18 years old and are currently not injured or taking medication for your mental health. 
Do I have to take part?
No. Participation is entirely voluntary. It is up to you to decide whether or not you would like to take part. If you do decide to take part, you will be given this information sheet to keep. You will also be asked to sign a consent form. If you choose to take part, you can change your mind at any time and withdraw from the study without giving a reason.
What do I have to do?
As a participant of this study, you will be required to fill out questionnaires online. There will be four questionnaires to complete. One questionnaire will ask for some basic information while the three other questionnaires will ask you about your mental health and well-being. The survey will take about 15 minutes to complete. The information you provide will allow for the comparison of different aspects of mental health in team sport athletes differ to individual sport athletes.
Risks and/or disadvantages?
All participants involved in the study will sign a consent form, prior to signing the form the participants must read the information sheet. This shows me that they read and agreed to partake in the research project. However, due to the study asking mental health questions to the participants and therefore, charities and numbers will be displayed on the information sheet. This is to make sure they have someone to talk to if they feel they need to discuss their mental health well-being.
Are there any possible benefits in taking part?
By taking part in this study, you are potentially helping researchers comparing mental health in team and individual sport athletes.
What if new information becomes available?
If new information becomes available during the course of the study, you will be kept informed, and any options or requests/requirements will be fully explained.  New information could result in termination of the study, withdrawal of certain participants and/or modification of the study
What if something goes wrong?
Although very unlikely, in the event that something goes wrong the University has in place procedures for reporting, investigating, recording and handling adverse events. Participant complaints will be taken seriously and should be made to the Chief Investigator who will take the appropriate course of action.
Will my taking part in this study be kept confidential?
All data collected will be treated with the strictest of confidence, according to the principles outlined in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR; 2018). Specifically, data will be securely stored on a password-protected/encrypted device or computer and only the named researchers will have access to this information. The anonymity and privacy of those who participate in the research will be respected. Only necessary/relevant personal information on participants will be kept and this will be held in the strictest of confidence. Anonymous codes will be used to protect the identity of participants, with all identifiable features removed. General information may be made available upon any Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, in accordance with FOI legislation. Privacy notice and sponsor compliance with GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. Ulster University is the sponsor or managing organisation for this study and we will use information gathered from you and/or your records in order to carry it out. We will act as the data controller, which means that we are responsible for looking after your information and using it properly, as stipulated in GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.  Ulster University will keep identifiable information about you for 6 months after the study has finished.  You can find out more about how we look after your information at: https://www.ulster.ac.uk/about/governance/compliance/gdpr  As a university we use personal identifying information to conduct research to review and improve people’s health, wellbeing and care, the services they use and our understanding of the world in which we live. As a publicly funded organisation, we have to ensure that it is in the public interest when we use personal identifying information from people who have agreed to take part in research. This means that when you agree to take part in a study, we will use your data to conduct the research and analyse the information and findings.
We need to manage your information in specific ways in order for the research to be reliable and accurate and therefore your rights to access, change or move your information are limited. You should note that if you withdraw from the study, we will keep the information about you that we have already obtained. To safeguard your rights, we will use the minimum personal identifying information possible. Health, care and other human research should serve the public interest, which means that we have to demonstrate that our research serves the interests of society as a whole. We do this by following University and appropriate UK policies and codes of practice. The only people in the University who will have access to your personal identifying information will be those who need to contact you for the study or to carry out audits of the research. If you wish to raise a complaint on how we have handled your personal data, you can contact our Data Protection Officer who will investigate the matter.
If you are not satisfied with our response or believe we are processing your personal data in a way that is not lawful you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
 Our Data Protection Officer is Eamon Mullan; you can contact him at e.mullan@ulster.ac.uk. The research participant privacy notice can be found at: https://www.ulster.ac.uk/about/governance/compliance/gdpr/privacy
What will happen to the results of the study?
The results of this study will be used as part of a BSc research project. They may lead to further research in the area and/or publication in scientific journals and presentation at conferences. All data will be held for 6 months after study completion in accordance with the Research Governance Steering Committee. 
Who is organising and funding the research?
Ulster University will be organising this study.
Who has reviewed this study?
This study has been reviewed by the by the School of Sport Ethics Filter Committee, Ulster University. You can contact the University Research Governance section for further details if you wish.
Contact details
Chief investigator – Dr Stephen Shannon
University of Ulster, Magee; Email – s.shannon@ulster.ac.uk;
Investigators – Mark Herdman (herman-m3@ulster.ac.uk); Elliot Young (young-e9@ulster.ac.uk)

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