This research has been approved by the University of Suffolk PGR Research Ethics Committee. 
Should you have any concerns about this research, please feel free to contact the PGR Ethics Committee at pgrethicsenquiries@uos.ac.uk 
 
Study Title: Impact of Specialism in England and Wales: An Online Survey 
Research Lead: Arianna Barbin 
Supervisors: Professor Miranda Horvath, Dr Kari Davies, Dr Mark Manning 
You are invited to take part in a study about the impact of police specialism. Before you decide to participate, it is essential for you to understand why the research is being done and what it will involve. This form will help you decide if you would like to take part. Please take your time to read the following information carefully and discuss it with others if you wish. Please ask if there is anything that is not clear or if you would like more information. You can contact the Researcher Lead at a.barbin2@uos.ac.uk
 
What is the purpose of the research?  
I am a PhD student at the University of Suffolk who is investigating police specialism across England and Wales. This is the second of three PhD studies aimed at understanding the police perspective of specialist units, specialist knowledge and specialist training. Specifically for this study, we are interested in understanding how specialism is seen and lived by police officers as part of their roles, and if it has any impact on wellbeing, capacity and competence. As part of this work, we would like to gather details on how specialism manifests itself in your police force, and what policies are or have been in place around the topic from the organisation you work for. The research consists of a short online survey that will help us gather different insights from as many police officers as possible (both retired and currently working). Please answer to any questions you feel able to, you are under no obligation to answer all of them. All contributions will be extremely valuable.
 
What will happen to me if I take part? 
If you choose to fill out our online survey, you can do this at a time and place that suits you. The questionnaire should between 10 and 30 minutes to fill out (although this may vary depending on how fast you read and respond).
 
What are the possible disadvantages of taking part?  
You will be asked to provide information on how specialism manifests itself within your police force and whether / how specialism is invested in. You will not be asked to share any confidential or proprietary information, nor asked about your work with victims, perpetrators, or colleagues. You are under no obligation to take part or to continue participating in the questionnaire if you feel distressed, nor to answer all the questions. You can withdraw at any time throughout the survey without negative consequences. All identifying information about you and the police force you work for (e.g., email addresses or any unintentionally disclosed information) will be anonymised so that nobody will know if you have taken part.  
 
Consent 
If you agree to participate in this study, you will be asked to indicate your consent before you take part by ticking the boxes you will see in the next page. Please be assured that all data will be anonymised, and the name of your organisation will not be named in any reports or publications that come from this study unless you wish to. Nobody will be informed that you have taken part in this study. Participation in this research is entirely voluntary. You do not have to take part if you do not want to. If you decide to take part, you may withdraw at any time during the survey by closing the browser window of the Online Surveys’ information request. You do not need to provide a reason for withdrawing. 
 
Who has reviewed the study?   
An Ethics Committee reviews all proposals for research using human participants before they can proceed. The University of Suffolk’s PGR Ethics Committee reviewed this proposal on the 18th of December 2023. This PhD has been funded by a University of Suffolk Studentship. 
 
Do I have to answer every question? 
No. By taking part in this research, you are not obligated to answer all questions asked. If you are uncomfortable or do not wish to answer any of the questions, you can just move on to the next question. All your responses will be treated with confidence. 
 
Will I be named in the study report? 
The information you give us will be analysed and incorporated into a final report. It may subsequently be published in various forms, including journal articles, conference presentations, book chapters and any documents related to this PhD. Individual participants will not be named in the reports of this research, and all personal information will be treated in the strictest confidence. 
 
Will I be able to ask questions? 
If you would like to receive further information about this study or to register your interest in hearing about the project findings, please get in touch. Equally, if you would prefer to have a discussion over the phone or via Teams, rather than submit written information, please do not hesitate to contact us and we can organise a meeting at your convenience. 
 
Can I have a copy of the research findings? 
The study findings will be made available to all participants on request.  
 
How will the data be collected? 
Completed surveys will be automatically stored on the Question Pro Surveys platform without identifying information. The researcher will specify that no email addresses or IP information shall be collected. Once data has been saved, any email with identifying information will be permanently deleted from the researcher’s work address. 
 
How will the data be processed?  
Data will be saved and analysed on a secure, password-protected SharePoint page. Only the researcher and supervisors will have access to the data. The information provided will be held by the researcher for up to 10 years in accordance with the University of Suffolk’s research guidelines. 
 
Thank you for reading this information sheet. If you have any questions, please email one of us using the contact details given below. 
If you have any questions on this information request or the research project, feel free to contact the researcher or their supervisors using the email address provided below: 
 
Researcher:
Arianna Barbin 
PhD Candidate 
Institute for Social Justice & Crime 
University of Suffolk 
Supervisors' contacts: 
Professor Miranda Horvath – M.Horvath2@uos.ac.uk 
Dr Kari Davies – kadavies@bournemouth.ac.uk 
Dr Mark Manning – Mark.Manning.1@uos.ac.uk
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