Consent

JOHNS HOPKINS BLOOMBERG SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
Consent for all participants in the study

This study has been deemed exempt by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health IRB. No personal or private information will be collected. Thus, the proposed activity does not qualify as human subjects research as defined by DHHS regulations 45 CFR 46.102, and does not require IRB oversight.

Study Title: An online study of variation in data analysis techniques
Principal Investigator: Jeffrey Leek
IRB No.: IRB00008885
PI Version Date: 2018-07-02 Date Approved: 2018-07-11

What you should know about this study

  • You are being asked to join a research study.
  • This consent form explains the research study and your part in the study.
  • Please read it carefully and take as much time as you need.
  • You are a volunteer. You may choose not to take part at all, and if you join, you may quit at any time. There will be no penalty if you decide to quit the study.
  • During the study, we will tell you if we learn any new information that might affect whether you wish to continue to be in the study.

Purpose of research project

We are conducting research on the ways that people use data analysis and data science tools. We will not collect any personally identifiable information about you for the purposes of this research. The potential risks to you are small. The potential benefits to the community of data scientists, developers, and professors are very high – we will be able to learn about the process of how people analyze data which can improve how we use data in business, scientific studies, and other areas.

Why we are asking you to participate

You are being asked to join this study because we want to understand the variation in the ways that people analyze data.

Study procedures

If you join this study, you will participate in the data analysis experiment. You will be asked to analyze a dataset and we will record all of the R code you are using while you perform this analysis in RStudio Cloud. You will then submit this code to us for review. We also will ask you to submit a one paragraph description of the final model you fit. You will then be asked to fill out some answers on SurveyMonkey. The data from all participants will be compiled into a single data set by the investigators in the study and then analyzed and released to the community.

Risks/discomforts

We anticipate that the risks involved with this study will be low. We will not ask for personally identifiable information during the survey and will only ask you to submit your analysis code and your write up for review. We will release these data, but believe that they pose very minimal risk for study participants.

Benefits

As an individual benefit, you may appear on the leaderboard for smallest p-value obtained if you supply a username. The potential benefits to the community of data scientists, developers, and professors are that we will be able to learn about the process of how people analyze data which can improve how we use data in business, scientific studies, and other areas.

Payment

There is no payment for participation.

Data Sharing

We plan to release all data collected from this study openly online via sites like Github and Figshare.

Data Confidentiality

We plan to release all data collected from this study openly online via sites like Github and Figshare.

Ending Consent

You may end your consent at any time. Information obtained and used before you end your consent will continue to be used for research. If any biospecimens have been collected and include your name, we will not use them for future research. If you wish to end your consent, let us know.

Who do I call if I have questions or problems?

Call the principal investigator Jeffrey Leek at 410-955-1166 or email him at jtleek@gmail.com. if you have questions or complaints about this study.

Call or contact the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health IRB Office if you have questions about your rights as a participant/parent of a study participant. Contact the IRB if you feel you have not been treated fairly or if you have other concerns. The IRB contact information is:

Address: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
615 N. Wolfe Street, Suite E1100, Baltimore, MD 21205
Telephone: 410-955-3193; Toll Free: 1-888-262-3242
E-mail: jhsph.irboffice@jhu.edu

What does your signature on this consent form mean? Your signature on this form means: You have been informed about this study’s purpose, procedures, possible benefits and risks. You have been given the chance to ask questions before you sign. You have voluntarily agreed to be in this study.