TITLE OF PROJECT: Postdigital Ludic Practice: An investigation into the transformative posthuman potentialities catalysed by the tools and methods of digital writing.

Invitation
The University of Worcester engages in a wide range of research which seeks to provide greater understanding of the world around us, to contribute to improved human health and well-being and to provide answers to social, economic and environmental problems.

We would like to invite you to take part in one of our research projects. Before you decide whether to take part, it is important that you understand why the research is being done, what it will involve for you, what information we will ask from you, and what we will do with that information.

There will be no personal information collected as part of this project.

The UK continues to be bound by the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation which is now the “UK GDPR” Under UK GDPR we are required to provide a justification (what is called a “legal basis”) in order to collect such information. The legal basis for this project is “task carried out in the public interest”.

You can find out more about our approach to dealing with your personal information at https://www.worcester.ac.uk/informationassurance/visitor-privacy-notice.html.

Please take time to read this document carefully.

What is the purpose of the research?
This study aims to investigate and articulate the writing practices of a creative writer who chooses to use multimedia methods to create and publish their writing. It will involve writing and creating digital poems for pubublication on the internet and social media.

Who is undertaking the research?

Katy Wareham Morris
PhD researcher and Senior Lecturer in media, film & cultural studies at the University of Worcester.

Who has oversight of the research?
The research has been approved by the Education Culture and Society Research Ethics Panel in line with the University’s Research Ethics Policy. The University of Worcester acts as the “Data Controller” for personal data collected through its research projects and is subject to the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. We are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office and our Data Protection Officer is Helen Johnstone ([email protected]).

For more on our approach to Information Assurance and Security visit:
https://www.worcester.ac.uk/informationassurance/index.html.

Why have I been invited to take part?
You are reading this Participant information sheet (PIS) because you have discovered my website and / social media platforms which include the digital poetry being used for the purpose of this research project.

None of your personal data is being collected as part of this project.

However, the project will acknowledge the digital footprint of the digital poems published within this website and on social media, including your anonymous footprint should you choose to enter the website or engage with the digital poetry on social media. This information can be collected through analytics and includes dwell time on webpages.

How do I take part?
It is up to you to decide whether or not to continue to enter the site and access the digital poetry. Please take your time to decide and talk to others about it if you wish.

To agree to continue to access the digital poetry included on this website, please tick to say you have read this (PIS) below. If you decide not to enter the site, please navigate to a different webpage.

How can I withdraw from this study after agreeing to participate?
Once you have agreed to access the digital poetry you can withdraw from the website at any time.

What will happen if I agree to take part?
If you agree to take part, you will

• be able to access, read and interact with the digital poems created for this research
  project.
• be able to spend as long as you wish on this website; you can access as many poems
  as you wish; your online activity on the website is anonymous.
• be able to discuss the poems with whoever you like via any form of communication you
  choose – this will not be recorded nor utilised for the purposes of this research project in
  any way.
• the only data to be stored will be your anonymous digital footprint which is collected as website analytics.
• be able to access these poems in a traditionally printed format, through Broken Sleep Books here: https://www.brokensleepbooks.com/product-page/katy-wareham-morris-violet-existence By choosing to access the poems in their digital form, you are not obligated to purchase nor access the traditionally printed format.

What are the benefits for me in taking part?
The purpose of this research project is to better understand the writing practices of a digital writer and, to try to find an efficient and effective language for articulating those tools and methods. This toolkit will also be interrogated as an analytical toolkit – can it also be used tointerpret digital poems, which are inherently different to traditionally print published poems.

The hope is to better understand digital literatures: digital writing tools and methods, as well as analytical tools and methods.

By reading the digital poems on this website and / or social media platforms, your perception and definition of ‘poetry’ might change. For example, you may never think to go and buy a printed poetry collection, but you would consider engaging with digital poetry.This might make you think differently about ‘poetry’ and how to access it in the future.

Are there any risks for me if I take part?
The research does not have any associated risks or disadvantages.

What will you do with my information?
Your digitial footprint will be treated confidentially at all times; that is, it will not be shared
with anyone other than Katy Wareham Morris, the PhD researcher leading this research
project.
During the project, all data / information will be kept securely in line with the University’s
Policy for the Effective Management of Research Data and its Information Security Policy.

By choosing to engage with the digital poetry on this website and /or associated social
media platforms, this project will be able to fulfil its aims and objectives, which are:

• To seek new knowledge and understanding related to digital poetry, digital writing and
  reading practices.
• To summarise this information in written form for the purposes of dissemination (through
  research reports, a thesis / dissertation, conference papers, journal articles or other
  publications). Any information disseminated / published will be at a summary level and
  will be fully anonymised and there will be no way of identifying your digital footprint in
  the final project and associated publications.
• To use the summary and conclusions arising from the research project for teaching and
  further research purposes. Any information used in this way will be at a summary level
  and will be fully anonymised. There will be no way of identifying your individual personal
  information from the summary information used in this way.

If you wish to receive a summary of the research findings or to be given access to any of the publications arising from the research, please contact us.

How long will you keep my data for?
Your personal data will be retained until the project (including the dissemination period) has been completed. The projected completion date is early 2026.

At the completion of the project, we will destroy all data relating to the project.

How can I find out what information you hold about me?
You have certain rights in respect of the personal information the University holds about
you. For more information about Individual Rights under GDPR and how you exercise
them please visit: https://www.worcester.ac.uk/informationassurance/requests-for-
personal-data.html.

What happens next?
Please keep this information sheet.
If you would be interested in taking part, please tick the box below and continue to enter the website.

Our contact details are:
Katy Wareham Morris
[email protected]

If you have any concerns about the project at this point or at any later date you may contact the researcher (contact as above) or you may contact the Supervisor: Simon Hardy, [email protected]

Allegations of Research Misconduct
To view University of Worcester’s Procedures for Dealing with Allegations of Research Misconduct please click here. For information about who to contact please click here.

Thank you for taking the time to read this information.

If you would like to speak to an independent person who is not a member of the research team, please contact the University of Worcester, using the following details:
Michelle Jellis
Secretary to Education, Culture and Society Research Ethics Panel
University of Worcester
Henwick Grove
Worcester WR2 6AJ
[email protected]