Anglia Ruskin: Social Media Advertising and Online Purchasing Study

This document presents a participant information sheet for a research project conducted at Anglia Ruskin University, focusing on the impact of social media advertising on online purchasing decisions, specifically using Amazon as a case study. The study aims to gather information on how social media advertisements influence consumer buying behavior and purchasing choices. The research will involve 100 regular Amazon consumers who will be asked a series of questions regarding their online purchasing decisions. Participants are informed about the benefits of participating, which includes potentially recommending measures to improve their experience. The sheet outlines participant rights, including the ability to refuse or withdraw from the study, and assures confidentiality of the data collected. It details the data handling procedures, including secure storage and eventual deletion after the study's completion. The research employs a qualitative approach, with interviews and transcripts provided to participants. The findings will be summarized and shared with the participants. Contact details for complaints are also provided, along with version control information.

PARTICIPANT INFORMATION SHEET GUIDANCE
The form must be on Anglia Ruskin University headed notepaper or have the Anglia Ruskin
University logo as the header.
Undergraduates and Masters students are advised to use this as a template.
Please note that this template may not be suitable when your potential participants are
children or some other groups. Please refer to the Faculty of Health and Social Care website
for advice on writing participant information sheets for children or young people.
http://web.anglia.ac.uk/anet/faculties/hsce/research-ethics.phtml
You need to consider the best way of informing research participants about your research
study and also take into account inclusivity for participants who may require the information in
alternative formats and any cultural differences if doing the research outside the UK.
You are advised to show your participant information sheet to someone outside of your field
to see if they are able to understand it and also to carry out a readability analysis, for
example the Flesch Reading Ease Readability Formula, which is available at:
http://www.readabilityformulas.com/flesch-reading-ease-readability-formula.php
It is important to remember to use only clear and accessible language and only the most
necessary technical terms. Try to avoid the use of abbreviations, but if you do use them
make sure you write the term in full in the first instance.
You also need to adapt your participant information sheet for different participants, for
example children of varying age groups.
Participants should be given a copy of the participant information sheet and consent form to
keep. Consent must be viewed as a process, during which you discuss the research with the
participant. Participants should usually be given as long as they need to decide whether to
take part in the research, within the time-frame of recruitment for your study. If there is any
doubt that a participant can give fully informed, voluntary consent you must not proceed with
the research.
If you are planning research with any participants aged 16 years of age and over where there
is any doubt about their ability to give consent, you must ensure that you are familiar with the
Mental Capacity Act (2005). For further information regarding this, please see Section 6.3 of
the Code of Practice for Applying for Ethical Approval at Anglia Ruskin University, available
at:
www.anglia.ac.uk/researchethics
Section A: The Research Project
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1. Title of project- To assess the impact of social media advertising on online
purchasing decision: A case study of AMAZON "
2. Brief summary of research.
To assess the impact of social media advertising on online purchasing decision: A
case study of AMAZON "According to the current investigation the main aim is to
gather information regarding the problems of changing buying decisions of a
customer due to social media advertisement. Amazon is an online portal of
shopping retail products and thus, the advertising activity could have either
positive or negative impact over the buyer’s decision. It is a problem for Amazon
because, large number of studies have conducted on advantages and
disadvantage of social media advertising over buyer. Major difficulty for the
present investigation is that there is limited knowledge and practical information
regarding the impacts of social media over users. The issue is generated because
online shopping portal has invested huge funds in advertising the products over
social media. Amazon has also empowered large finances on such kind of
advertisement. As per the above identified objectives and share, researcher is
going to focus on different results of social media advertisement. In addition to
this, it will highlight the advertisement process used by Amazon. In order to attain
better knowledge as well as for resolving research problem focus will also give on
direct and indirect impacts of advertisement over products’ response and reviews.
3. Purpose of the study
You need to state whether this is part of your:
Undergraduate degree at Anglia Ruskin University
Masters degree at Anglia Ruskin University
PhD/DProf at Anglia Ruskin University
or in your capacity as a member of staff at Anglia Ruskin University
or for Associate Colleges give the name of the college and state that it is for an Anglia
Ruskin award (please specify which type of award e.g. Undergraduate degree) if this
is the case.
4. Name of your Supervisor (student research only).
5. Why have I been asked to participate?
It is because of your regular number of purchase from Amazon.
6. How many people will be asked to participate?
100 regular consumers of Amazon.
7. What are the likely benefits of taking part?
A likely benefit of this study is a prompt scope provided to you for further recommend
the company to suggest some proficient measures to serve you in a better manner.
8. Can I refuse to take part?
Yes, you can refuse to take part without giving a reason. Under no circumstances
should participants feel coerced into taking part.
9. Has the study got ethical approval?
Yes, an ethical approval has been taken up from all participant bodies of this survey.
10. Has the organisation where you are carrying out the research given
permission?
Yes, the organization named Amazon has been asked to give their prior permission
for the same.

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11. What will happen to the results of the study?
This research will be circulated for write up for my degree as a thesis to be published
in journals and presented at conferences.
12. Contact for further information
Only an Anglia email address must be given. If possible, also provide an Anglia
telephone number, but if this is not feasible a personal mobile number (but not a
landline number) is permissible.
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Section B: Your Participation in the Research Project
1. What will I be asked to do?
You will be asked few questions about the impact of social media advertisement on
your buying decisions.
2. Will my participation in the study be kept confidential?
Yes, it will be definitely a confidential study with access to only authorized users such
as my supervisor.
3. Will I be reimbursed travel expenses?
You need not to travel to contribute into this study.
4. Are there any possible disadvantages or risks to taking part?
No, there is no such risk and disadvantage to participate in this study.
5. Whether I can withdraw at any time, and how.
Yes, you can anytime withdraw from the study.
6. What will happen to any information/data/samples (delete as applicable) that
are collected from you?
Data will be securely held by the time the assessment of this study outcomes will be
done.
7. Whether there are any special precautions you must take before, during or after
taking part in the study.
No, there is no such need of taking any special precaution before participating in the
study.
8. What will happen to any information/data/samples (delete as applicable) that
are collected from you?
The collected information will be securely held by the concerned officials with no
such risk of availing it to any unauthorized users. Once after the completion of this
research work, all collected data will be duly removed from the system with a
special consent of participant's personal information.
9. A qualitative research is being conducted over here where the participants will be duly
provided a copy of their transcript. It will be a simple procedure where a survey will
be arranged to interrogate the willing participants and mark their given responses into
the framed set of questionnaire. This will in turn converted into interview transcripts
for each of the respondent with a distinct code assigned to them.
10. A summarised research findings will be duly made available to each of the
participated respondent so as to acknowledge the factual outcomes of their given
contribution.

11. Contact details for complaints.
If participants have any complaints about the study, they should be encouraged to
speak to you or your Supervisor (for students) in the first instance. They should also,
however, be given access to details about Anglia Ruskin University’s complaints
procedure.
Email address: [e-mail]
Postal address: Office of the Secretary and Clerk, Anglia Ruskin University, Bishop
Hall Lane, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 1SQ.
Students from Associate Colleges need to check what their procedures for complaints
are and provide details to participants.
Version control
Your participant information sheet, consent form and other documents should have a version
number and date. This is in order that should any changes be required by the ethics
committee, it is clear which documentation has ethical approval.
PARTICIPANTS SHOULD BE GIVEN A COPY OF THIS TO KEEP,
TOGETHER WITH A COPY OF THE CONSENT FORM.
Date 24.10.16
V1.0
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