Resources for Participants - FAQs
WHY IS THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA DOING THIS STUDY? The University of Pennsylvania conducts research that concerns the health and wellbeing of people locally, throughout the state, and across the country. The people who are conducting this study are researchers, teachers, and doctors who conduct studies like this one to find out how the personal use of and availability of things, including alcohol, is related to violence. You can find out more about the University of Pennsylvania at the website.
WHO IS SPONSORING (PAYING FOR) THE STUDY?
The study is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY?
There is a lot that isn’t known about makes adolescents more likely or less likely to be victims of violence. The purpose of this study is to identify factors that put adolescents at risk to be shot in an assault or to be assaulted with another kind of weapon. We hope the results will be helpful in preventing violence. Over a period of two years, we will be conducting interviews for this study with several hundred adolescents (between the ages of 10 and 19 years) who live in Philadelphia.
HOW DID YOU GET MY TELEPHONE NUMBER?
Everyone’s telephone number was drawn from a list that we created ourselves. All of the numbers we use start with your area code and with the same telephone exchange, which is the first 3 numbers. When we call these numbers, some of them turn out to be real telephone numbers and other numbers give us just a message saying there is no phone connected. The method we use means that every telephone number in your community has an equal chance of being called, and it is strictly by chance that yours was one of them.
HOW CAN I BE SURE THIS IS AUTHENTIC?
If you ever have questions about our study feel free to call the University of Pennsylvania at 215-898-0598 and refer to "the Space Time Adolescent Risk Study," or “STARS.”
IS MY PARTICIPATION CONFIDENTIAL?
Yes, most definitely! After the interview is done the answers are put onto a computer without identifying information, like name, address, and telephone number. To help us protect your privacy, we have obtained a Certificate of Confidentiality from the National Institutes of Health. What this means is that the study team members cannot be forced to give anyone information that may identify you, even if a court of a judge asks for it. I and the researchers will use the Certificate to resist any demands for information that would identify you, except as explained in the consent forms.
CAN I GET A COPY OF THE STUDY'S RESULTS?
Yes, we would be glad to send it to you if you will email us your mailing address, or you can look at our website and see results here. The study is being conducted over the course of four years, and is scheduled to conclude in 2009. We hope to have the final results ready shortly after that.
WILL ANYONE BE ABLE TO FIND OUT THE IDENTITIES OF SHOOTING/ASSAULT VICTIMS THROUGH THE STUDY?
No, absolutely not.
WILL THE DATA BE AVAILABLE FOR USE BY RESEARCHERS AT OTHER INSTITUTIONS?
Yes, upon completion of the study, a dataset will be available for research purposes. A provisional version of the of the "codebook" (still under development) can be downloaded soon to review the data collection instruments and lists of data fields that are being collected.
• Last updated: 11/12/2012