VERBAL CONSENT FORM

Potential Research Study Participant: We are inviting you to take part in a

research project being conducted at this time. You were selected to participate as
a potential subject because you meet the required age range (minimum 18 years).

Ann Branaman (PI) and Ashley Ostroot from the Department of Sociology at
Florida Atlantic University are conducting a research study on generational
differences in life experience. The purpose of this research study is to evaluate
generational differences in understandings and experiences of reaching
adulthood and achieving life meaning, purpose, and satisfaction.
As a participant in this study, you will be asked to discuss and respond to a
series of topics and questions in regards to life story and experiences. You will
complete only this one survey unless you are willing and available to participate
in additional interviews. At a minimum, we expect that the survey will require 6090 minutes in order to respond to each question. However, we would welcome
longer responses and/or participation in follow-up interviews at a later time.
Although interviews are not likely to involve highly sensitive material, it is possible
that you might choose to venture into highly sensitive topics as you respond. To
maintain confidentiality, we will separate your name from your interview
transcript. In write-ups of our analyses of interview data, we will alter your name
and details of your responses in order to disguise your identity. All transcripts will
be stored in password-protected files available only to the primary investigators.
Participation is entirely voluntary, and you may decline to answer any question(s)
you do not wish to answer or discontinue your participation at any point.
This research will make an important contribution to sociological knowledge by
increasing understanding of how the human life is shaped by political, economic,
social, cultural, and historical influences. It may also serve to increase mutual
understanding across generations. The potential benefits to you as a research
participant include the opportunity to tell your life story and to reflect on the
meaning of important events and circumstances in your life.
With your permission, we will audiotape the interview. To protect your
confidentiality, we will separate your names from the transcripts of your interview
and will destroy any recordings of voice immediately after transcription. Any
information collected about you will be kept confidential and secure and only the
people working with the study will see your data, unless required by law. Data
will be stored on the primary investigator's office computer and backed up on
portable storage drives kept in a locked file drawer in the primary investigators
office. All files will be password protected and names and contact information
will be stored separately from the transcribed interviews. For those willing to
participate in follow-up interviews, coding will be attached to transcripts to allow
the PI to link the transcript to contact information. In other cases, no names or

contact information will be stored. The PI wishes to retain the transcripts of the
interviews permanently, as she intends to continue studying individuals life
narratives over the remainder of her academic career.
Taking part in this interview is your agreement to participate. By participating you
agree that you have read the above information describing this study, that you
are 18 years of age or older and freely consent to participate, and that you
understand that you are free to withdraw from the study at any time without
penalty. If you would like a copy of this letter for your records, please let me
know and I will email it to you. If you have any questions regarding the research,
contact Ann Branaman at (561) 703-9616 in the Department of Sociology at
Florida Atlantic University. If you have any questions regarding your rights as a
research subject, please contact the Florida Atlantic University Division of
Research at (561) 297-0777. Thank you again for your participation.

Approved on:
Expires on:
Institutional Review Board

7/16/2015
7/15/2016