You are being asked to be a volunteer in a research study.

Purpose:
The purpose of this study is:

• To explore the meaning of the term “resolver” for Cubans – as a mentality, as a cultural custom, and as a lived experience
• To explore the ways people in Havana “resolver” their affairs in their everyday lives
• Explore how the term “resolver” includes uses and innovations surrounding the use of technology in Havana

These findings will help inform future research in regards to how people in Cuba and other similar contexts might obtain better access to technologies and engagements that they value. 

Procedures:
If you decide to be in this study, your part will involve:

• Participating in an interview for approximately 30-90 minutes using an instant messaging client (like Facebook chat), email, video chat, in person, or over the phone.
• Having your comments recorded by transcription.

Your part may also involve:

• Because we are interested in changes over a period of time, your part may optionally include participating in follow-up interviews by email, Facebook chat, video chat, in person, or over the phone throughout the duration of this project.

Participant Eligibility:
Any individual living in, from Cuba, or who has previously lived in Cuba, that is 18 years of age or older may be included in this research, regardless of gender or ethnicity.
 

Risks/Discomforts
The following risks/discomforts may occur as a result of your participation in this study:
The risks involved in this study are no greater than those involved in using email or social media sites to communicate with people in and outside of Cuba, sharing media informally, and/or talking with foreigners in-person (all of which are commonly observed practices in Cuba). However, please remember that your online communications and/or email may be monitored by outside parties. Please refrain from discussing any information that may be harmful to you. 

Benefits
As a thank you for your participation, you will be sent 10 CUC credit to your cell phone upon completion of the interview. At the conclusion of the interview, please send the cell phone number you wish to recharge to resolviendoencuba@umich.edu. You are not required to participate in follow-up interviews to receive the cell phone credit. 

The research team expects to learn more about your uses of communication technologies from this project which we hope will increase the scientific community’s knowledge about information communication technology use and innovative strategies in a variety of contexts.  We hope that what we learn will assist in the development of future projects that may assist the Cuban people or others in similar communities and contribute to a better understanding of the way of life in Cuba. We will also make our research findings available to you if you are interested.

 
Costs to You
There are no costs to you as a participant in this study.
 

Confidentiality
The following procedures will be followed to keep your personal information confidential in this study:

We will not ask you for your real name, nor require you to provide us with any other personally identifying information.

In our publications, we may wish to refer to things you wrote in an email, said in an interview or content you have posted online that you have chosen to share with the researcher. If you choose to converse with researchers via email, only researchers will have access to the key linking your email address to your pseudonym. Your name will not appear in any publications; a pseudonym will be used instead. 

For all audio recordings, a copy will be kept on a password-protected computer to which only the research team will have access

The data that is collected about you will be kept private to the extent allowed by law. To make sure that this research is being carried out in the proper way, the University of Michigan IRB will review study records. The Office of Human Research Protections may also look at study records. 

 
In the case of electronic communications and web-based consent, you should be aware, however, that the experiment is not being run from a “secure” https server of the kind typically used to handle credit card transactions, so there is a small possibility that responses could be viewed by unauthorized third parties (e.g., computer hackers). Please use your best judgment when answering research questions and do not include any potentially harmful information.

The University of Michigan Health Sciences and Behavioral Sciences Institutional Review Board has determined that this research is exempt from IRB oversight.

 

Subject Rights

• Your participation in this study is voluntary. You do not have to be in this study if you don’t want to be.
• You have the right to change your mind and leave the study at any time without giving any reason, and without penalty.
• Any new information that may make you change your mind about being in this study will be given to you.
• You may keep this consent form. If you are viewing this form online, you may print out a copy of this consent form to keep.
• You do not waive any of your legal rights by agreeing to consent.

 

Questions about the Study
If you have any questions about the study, you may contact Dr. Michaelanne Dye, Principal Investigator, at telephone +1-404-783-7777 or by email at resolviendoencuba@umich.edu

Indicating your consent to the researcher means that you have read the information given in this consent form, and you would like to be a volunteer in this study. Please respond verbally to the investigator (if speaking in person) or via email (if communicating electronically) with your response to the question below:

Do you agree to an interview regarding your use of technology?

• I have read and understand this information and agree to participate in an interview.

OR

• I do not want to participate in an interview.