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The Project's Completed NAU IRB Application

By: Michael Van Ness

 

Table of Contents (click on headings to jump to various sections)
Clicking on a [TOC] returns you to this listing.

 

9. PARTICIPANTS

10. PROJECT DESCRIPTION.

11. INFORMED CONSENT PROCESS

12. PROCEDURE/PROTOCOL DESCRIPTION.

13. CONFIDENTIALITY AND ANONYMITY PROTECTION.

14. RISKS TO PARTICIPANTS.

15. BENEFITS.

16. CERTIFICATION AND SIGNATURES

Initial Application For Approval of Research

Institutional Review Board (IRB) at Northern Arizona University

Information Required by the Institutional Review Board

Principal Investigator: Is this a renewal of a previous application?
NO ( X )YES (   ) If yes, previous IRB Log Number

1. Your Project's Title A Change of Scene: a microethnography of tabletop role-playing game sessions

2. Principal Investigator(s) Michael Van Ness

3. Primary NAU Department/Institute/Other Sponsor Anthropology

4. Address for all correspondence regarding this IRB application 3823 N. Paradise Road, Flagstaff AZ 86004

E-mail mev5@dana.ucc.nau.edu                  Phone (928) 527-3399

5. Primary NAU Faculty/Supervisor, or Other Sponsoring Supervisor Dr. Reed Riner

NAU College Social and Behavioral Sciences

NAU Box 15200    E-mail Anthropology@nau.edu     Phone (928) 523-3180

6. Mark all that apply. (   ) Class Project; ( X ) Thesis; (   ) Dissertation
Other, (   ) specify:

If class project list class/course number, e.g. ENG 101:

7. Project Period (up to one year) From 05/05 To 12/05

8. Is/has a proposal for external funding support being submitted? No ( X )
Yes (   ) If yes, list deadline date
If yes, attach one complete copy of that proposal with this application.
If yes, list the source of the support:

Note: Your application will be processed more quickly by following these requirements: (a) The information given below must be written in language that an 8th grader can understand. (b) Failure to provide all required information will result in the return of your Application for correction before the IRB can review it. (c) In each space below, provide complete and simply worded answers to the following questions.

9. PARTICIPANTS

(a) Will participants be less than 18 years of age? Yes (   ) No ( X )
(b) The age range of participants is from 18 to approximately age 50 (there is no upper limit for participants, but people who participate in role-playing games are usually adults of 19-35 years.)
(c) Will all or some participants be NAU students? Yes ( X ) No (   )
(d) How many people will be participants in the research? This depends on the size and number of gaming groups I will encounter, but assuming 4-8 players per group and 8 groups, from 32-64 participants.
(e) Participant population. Provide appropriate details such as gender, ethnic background, student status, and any unique health, economic, or legal status. According to the most up to date (1999) marketing research conducted by Wizards of the Coast (the largest retailer of tabletop role-playing games), of the 2.5 million Americans who participate in tabletop role-playing games at least once per month, 81% are male and 59% are 19-35 years old. As a consequence of specific historic factors, Anglos have always been overrepresented in the population of regular tabletop gamers. During the nine years I have participated in tabletop gaming in Flagstaff, it has been my experience that most players (over 90%) are young adult white males. Thus, the research participants I will recruit are highly unlikely to be considered a part of a “special population” as defined by the NAU IRB.
(f). Special and Vulnerable Groups and Situations. Provide further details if your research features people or circumstances similar to those listed in the IRB Reference Document, Section 5.C. Not Applicable
(g) Participant selection. Briefly describe how the participants will be selected, enlisted, or recruited. Role-playing games are usually played in groups of 4-8 people, each one called a "gaming group." At this time, five gaming groups have expressed an interest in participating in the proposed research: I regularly participate in two of these groups, the other three are partially composed of players who I have known for many years. Additional groups will be recruited primarily using my contacts at Overlord Games, a local Flagstaff business specializing in tabletop role-playing games. Many gaming groups meet at Overlord Games, and for the past few months I have been hanging out there getting to know local role-players and occasionally participating in some of their games. I will employ a basic "snowball sampling" technique in which I ask my contacts at Overlord Games if they know of any individuals in gaming groups who would be interested in participating in the research; these people will then be asked the same question and so on. [TOC]

10. PROJECT DESCRIPTION. The IRB must have sufficient information written in non-technical terms to estimate and evaluate possible risks. Briefly describe (a) the project, and (b) what human participants will experience during the proposed research.

     (a) The proposed thesis project will perform a qualitatively driven, micro-ethnography of tabletop role-playing games (RPGs). A tabletop RPG is a commercially available game that can be found in such places as Bookman’s or Hastings and usually consists of a series of rule books which describe the game play. The movie ET opens with a table-top role-playing game in progress; these sorts of games are best described as interactive storytelling. They do not require a game board as all the action takes place in the imagination of the players, as it would if they were reading a book. One player, referred to as a gamemaster, serves as a both storyteller and referee. The other players create player characters which, during the game, interact with the game master’s story. The event is a game in that there are specific rules that add structure as well as uncertainty. Thus, if during a game a player character were fighting monsters in a Lord of the Rings style story, dice would be rolled to see how the event played-out. These games are referred to as tabletop role-playing games since they are usually played at a table of some kind; this just makes sense given the number of dice, paper, and books required for game play. There are other types of RPGs that are not are not tabletop RPGs, such as live-action role-playing (where participants physically act out their roles), but none of these other types of role-playing games will be explored.

     (b) I will participate in the role-playing games I study as either a player or a gamemaster. Considering the vast array of performances, verbal artistry, and social interactions that occur during tabletop gaming sessions (which field notes could not hope to capture), I will record my participant observations in audio and video format. Aside from these recordings (which admittedly carry a degree of risk), I will not be asking research participants to do anything they would not otherwise be doing – that is, having fun participating in role-playing games. [TOC]

11. INFORMED CONSENT PROCESS (if applicable). Describe the process you will use to obtain informed consent from your participants.

     Tabletop role-playing games are ethically interesting and unique situations. While everyone in a role-playing game co-constructs the ongoing story, the gamemaster is the ultimate referee and as such has power over the other players (the game master is, in essence, the one who gives each player a type of score at the end of each game). If a particular game master was interested in participating in the research, this could mean that the other players in the game master’s group might be coerced into participating as well. I will use my own familiarity with role-playing sessions to guard against this type of potential coercion, and I have written the informed consent documents with this ethical danger in mind. I will immediately end research in game settings where gamemasters – in any way – threaten or coerce players into project participation.

     Whenever possible I will meet with players well before game sessions begin to discuss the project and review the informed consent documentation. This will help to avoid (1) players feeling pressured into giving consent – particularly when games are about to begin and gamemasters or other players become impatient, as well as (2) situations in which I am encouraged to rush through my presentation of the informed consent document. As it is not unusual for players to join game sessions after they have “officially” begun, I will need to explain to the groups I conduct participant observations with that I will have to gain informed consent from all new players (which may require a 20 minute pause in the game) or I will have to leave.

     Aside from these considerations, the proposed project will employ three distinct ethical procedures to promote informed consent. These include: (1) the use of a standardized informed consent document presentation, (2) the dissemination of my thesis prospectus to all interested research participants, and (3) the creation of a web site devoted to the ongoing project which research participants, the IRB, and the world can use to monitor the project’s progress (to be updated weekly) and to review its basic documentation (the prospectus and informed consent documents at least).

     The informed consent presentation will be rehearsed extensively before being employed and will progress as follows. After providing players with the informed consent document which accompanies this application I will briefly describe why we need this kind of paperwork. I will then explain the various sections of this document and ask that the players read it. Whenever players seem intent upon skipping this step I will take extra care to ensure they understand what they are signing. Once potential participants have had sufficient time to read the document I will ask if anyone has any questions about it or my project. I will explain that no one is obligated to participate in the research, and that if they agree to participate they can choose to stop participating at any time with no negative consequences. I will then make sure all the players sign the informed consent document – if any of the players chooses not to participate I will thank them for their time and leave the ethnographic setting. These documents will be stored with all project materials in a locked desk in my private home office. After the project concludes, these documents will be stored in a locked filing cabinet for a period of at least three years as per IRB regulations.

     I have included the following paragraph in the informed consent document, “A project web site exists whose URL will be supplied to you upon request – there you will be able to find a copy of this document, the research plan (called a prospectus), and a variety of other research materials. You are invited to explore this site whether or not you choose to participate in the project. If you would like I will provide you with either a hard or electronic copy of the thesis prospectus.” I will be sure to bring both hard and electronic copies of my prospectus to each period of participant observation so that research participants can better understand the nature of the project.

The project web site (to be opened upon confirmation of IRB approval – the exact URL to be supplied in writing to the board and to Melanie.Birck@nau.edu) will contain the following elements:

  1. The thesis prospectus, so that research participants (and the world) can, at any time, examine the layout and goals of the project.
  2. A running timeline of work I complete (updated weekly), so that my committee can easily evaluate the project; unlike other projects, the IRB will be able to keep exact track of the proposed research through the web site.
  3. A discussion board devoted to the study of role playing games in which research participants (and anyone else) can discuss my tentative findings, the project, or any other topic relevant to the study of role-playing games. This could be a potential ethical risk, and I will take great care to not post sensitive information, but at the same time it adds to the ethical strength of the project in that research participants will be able to comment on my own research practices.
  4. A glossary of role-playing terms. There are other such listings on the internet, but none of them factor in the role of "idioculture" (defined at the top of page 11); this one will be the exception.
  5. A quotes section. RPG participants love to record humorous or appropriate quotes from their games, and this section will contain any that people want to offer. My gaming group records quotes all the time and I will list the more interesting ones I encounter during fieldwork here. Since these bits of text will be listed “in-character” there is little danger of confidentiality being breached; only people who participated in the source game session will be able to link quotes to actual players. Even if these quotes were linked to actual people, it is likely to have little impact, as they deal specifically with aspects of the shared fantasy.
  6. A narrative section. This will be similar to the quotes section but will contain stories from actual role-playing sessions; these will be submitted by anyone who cares to contribute and are likely to cover such topics as humorous game events, character fatalities, and dramatic scenes. I will not post data in this section since to do so would risk breaches of confidentiality.
  7. An Annotated Bibliography. This will facilitate future research.
  8. The Pre-Ethnography. This document is a record of my own role-playing experiences and my first attempt at ethnographic writing on the topic of role-playing games.
  9. The Master’s Thesis! The final write-up will be posted to the web site so that everyone – research participants and the world – can benefit. Dissemination should be a part of every research design. [TOC]

12. PROCEDURE/PROTOCOL DESCRIPTION. Provide the details of your plan to use interviews, questionnaires, or data recording forms. Include a step-by-step description of each procedure or protocol, including how often, how long, and where each will occur (frequency, duration, and location).

     The ethnographic focus of the proposed research does not require the use of questionnaires, formal interviews, or data recording forms. The data collection methods I will use fall into two categories: field notes created from participant observations and actual recordings of game space (still image, video clips, audio records and handouts).

     While a certain degree of note taking is a natural part of participating in a role-playing game (players need to record the status of their characters, significant events in the ongoing story and so on), it would be both distracting and inappropriate to record detailed ethnographic field notes during game play. Since I assume that the reflections and insights researchers gain from fieldwork fade rapidly as a function of time (Bernard 2000: 356), I will try to record notes as soon as possible after participant observations conclude. Considering the body of guiding theory I have thus far collected, my field notes will seek to record the following types of data:

  1. The ways in which the style of play I participated in were unique to that particular group (thus setting it apart from the stereotypical gaming group).
  2. Unique game rules, procedures, references to group history, and other examples of small group culture (or ideoculture).
  3. The ways in which the players draw from other creative sources (fiction, published game materials, television, movies, other media) to construct the elements of their game (characters, stories, etc.).
  4. The ways in which the participants persuade one another to meet their own in-game goals.
  5. The ways in which the game session was influenced by American culture.

     Notes will be taken first in college-ruled, spiral notebooks (as is my preference – I just think better with a mechanical pencil in hand) and later transferred to Microsoft word format. All digital field notes and research files will be password protected in two ways: (1) a password is required to use my computer, (2) all files will be individually password protected using one project password. I will take every reasonable precaution to prevent field notes from being inspected by anyone except myself: at home I have a locked desk where all research materials will reside (including field notes, audio tapes, video tapes, game handouts and digital cameras).

     Since I am interested in capturing complex and often subtle non-verbal interactions of the research participants as much as I am interested in their actual speech, it is necessary that I make video recordings as I conduct participant observations. Given that I expect to participate in hundreds of hours of tabletop role-playing (game sessions usually last for 3-12 hours), I will videotape only small samples of each game session.

     The video recorder to be used is a Sony DCR-TRV140 8mm Camcorder. I will set this instrument up on a tripod prior to the beginning of each game in such a way that the field of view covers most of the game space. I will explain to the players that the camera will remain off until I activate it using the camera’s remote control, which I will do from time to time as interesting game events and interactions take place. If any of the players object to the presence of the camera I will not use it during that particular session. I estimate that perhaps 20-30 minutes of video recordings will be gathered during each game. This body of data will not be immediately transcribed, but will be recorded on my Sony Vaio home computer (which interfaces smoothly with the camcorder using a program called PIXELA) and converted to DVD format so that I can review it as needed during the eventual process of ethnographic data review and pattern-finding. Eventually, as I come to focus my attention on specific aspects of RPGs, I will reduce the video-clips into shorter segments with more specific themes. The only time I will transcribe video clips will be (1) when and if it becomes useful to do so for the purposes of analysis, and (2) when I compose the final micro-ethnography, which must predominantly take the form of typed text. I prefer a style of analysis in which patterns and domains emerge from repeated exposures to the data – this is best accommodated by reviewing as much of the actual game as possible as opposed to a reduction of this reality. Thus, instead of manipulating and reviewing one-moment’s interpretation of RPG action – transcribed text – I will be sorting and coding detail-rich and open ended moments of role-playing in the form of video files.

     Throughout the process of data acquisition I will draw upon the insights offered by Duranti’s Linguistic Anthropology and its Appendix: Practical tips on recording interaction (1997: 340-347), which includes a variety of ways to reduce the number of common problems students encounter during their fieldwork. Ethical considerations of informed consent will take absolute priority: as Duranti explains, “Be sensitive to people’s reactions and expectations. Always explain what you are doing, why you are recording, and ask permission” (1997: 344).

     Duranti argues that “One should record as much as possible” (1997: 344), and I agree. Complete audio recordings will be made of each game session (again, unless any player objects) to serve as one more avenue of data gathering and as a backup for the videotaping procedures using a Panasonic Slim Line AC/Battery tape recorder and a Radio Shack uni-directional dynamic microphone. As will be the case with the video records, audio tapes will not be transcribed in their entirety, but rather selectively according to their utility to the ongoing research. I will use a 4 channel mixer to transfer audio tape data to CD format and then store and reduce this data (as research continues) on my personal computer.

     Using both the Sony DCR-TRV140 8mm Camcorder and an hp photosmart 435 digital camera, I will take still images of the game spaces I encounter during my fieldwork to supplement the audio and video records. This method will focus on the artifacts players use as they role-play (usually scattered around the game table) such as polyhedral dice, maps, drawings, rule books, miniatures, and snacks. Some of these artifacts, such as gamemaster handouts, will be collected as well and stored with all other research materials, in a locked desk in my personal home office. [TOC]

13. CONFIDENTIALITY AND ANONYMITY PROTECTION.Describe (a) How you will safeguard the privacy of your participants, (b) How you will guarantee the confidentiality of information that is collected, and (c) If you are using videotape or audiotape materials, indicate (1) Where and how these items will be stored during the project, and (2) How the information contained in the materials will be disposed of at the end of the project.

     (a) Tabletop role-playing games are social activities where friends get together and perform for a limited audience – one another. The small-group culture that can develop in these games encourages players to talk about their shared group history and about themselves. The proposed research asks participants to perform for a larger audience than normal – potentially anyone who is exposed to my field notes and tapes. Simply put, research participants are likely to divulge embarrassing, sensitive, or private information during the game sessions I will record. Since I can not hope to understand what aspects of game records will be considered “private,” (this is up to the research participants, not me) I must enact the following safeguards out of respect for the people I study.

  1. No aspect of the research design involves asking participants to identify themselves on tape, to divulge demographic or personal information, or to otherwise make it easy for third parties to identify them later.
  2. In my fieldnotes I will not record information that seems in any way like something the player would not want other people to know – these things are not of interest anyway.
  3. I will refer to players in my fieldnotes, transcripts, and final ethnography using the names of their characters – not their real names. This way, only the people who participated in that particular game session will know who I am talking about.
  4. If at any time a research participant asks that I (a) stop recording, (b) edit out something that was recorded, or (c) destroy a tape I will immediately and happily comply. I want the participants to know that they are in control of the access others have to them.
  5. The informed consent practices mentioned in section 11 of this document makes it clear to research participants that I am recording the events of the game – this will hopefully reduce the number of instances in which participants mention sensitive information.
  6. As I transfer the data to a digital format I will edit out any and all instances in which the research participants refer to something which could obviously come back to haunt them (such as illegal activities). I will not, however, edit out instances where players mention one another’s first names (the informed consent document makes this clear).
  7. I will only publicly show edited, digital copies of actual data that have been passed back to the research participants. I will obtain special written consent from all persons appearing in these data before I ever show them.

     (b) I will safeguard the confidentiality of the collected information primarily by restricting access to it. All research materials (aside from computer files) are to be stored in a locked, metal desk drawer in my personal office. I have the only key. All computer files will be individually password protected using one project password (which will not be recorded elsewhere) and stored only on my personal computer, which also requires a password for use. My computer does not leave my office and is not connected to a local network. One Backup copy of all project electronic files will be kept with the original tapes in the same locked desk drawer that houses the rest of the project data.

     (c) At the end of the proposed project I intend to retain electronic copies of all recordings for future research purposes, a procedure mentioned in the informed consent document. Any hard copies of this data (CDs, DVDs) will be locked away with other project records (such as consent forms) in my desk. Audio and video tapes will be retained only as long as is required to complete my thesis requirements – they will then be burned and destroyed. Upon request and free of charge I will disseminate hard copies of game session recordings back to the research participants who participated in them so long as the entire gaming group provides written consent. [TOC]

14. RISKS TO PARTICIPANTS. (a) Describe any potential risks - physical, psychological, social, legal, or other; (b) Include all known and anticipated risks to the participant such as: side effects, risks of placebo (inert) treatments, etc.; and (c) In research that proposes substantial risk to human participants, list emergency backup procedures that are in place such as medical or counseling interventions.

     (a) The potential risks to the research participants are as follows,

  1. Often times in social scientific research the most significant risk to research participants lies in the possibility that the project would invade their privacy or create a breach of confidentiality. Given the social and informal nature of tabletop role-playing game sessions, invasions of privacy are most likely to occur when recordings are made of things players might not want people outside of the game setting to hear. In so much as players might mention incriminating, embarrassing, or sensitive things about themselves or their other players they will experience risk, particularly when I record game sessions. The best way to reduce this risk is to safeguard the confidentiality of the data.
  2. As a consequence of religious activism in the early to mid 1980’s, tabletop role-playing games (such as Dungeons and Dragons) have been semantically associated with “evil,” the occult, and even suicide/depression (much in the same way rock and roll music has been). While none of these associations are accurate (Lancaster 1993: 77-78), there is still the chance that people who play tabletop role-playing games might be stigmatized by their choice to do so – especially from religious sources. Thus, the recordings I will make of game sessions poses a risk to research participants in that they could be later identified in these recordings and stigmatized.
  3. A related but distinct form of potential stigmatization lies in the fact that popular culture has in the past portrayed role-playing game participants as “geeks.” Among long-term gamers, the geek label is a source of pride, with “geek culture” an emerging lay-recognized “subculture” marked by intelligence, creativity, and economic success. Nonetheless, not everyone may feel empowered by the potential “geek” label that comes with role-playing games, and the recordings I will make of game sessions does pose some risk of identification and stigmatization to research participants. I must point out, however, that risks “1” and “2” are mitigated by the fact that (a) tabletop role-playing games have enjoyed a surge in popularity over recent years such that more and more people are playing them, (b) none of the earlier, religious-based, negative portrayals of role-playing games were accurate (Lancaster 1993: 77-78), (c) the stigma generated in the 1980’s seems to have died out, (d) people who participate in role-playing games often play in the public spaces spaces of dorms, restaurants, and game stores and do not seek to hide their "geeky" pastime.
  4. Some participants may feel awkward or uneasy being recorded or filmed. Considering that role-playing game sessions are continuous performances in social space anyway, this risk seems minimal. However, I will carefully watch for signs that research participants are uncomfortable with the recording techniques and I will remind participants that I am more than willing to cease recording at a moment’s notice.
  5. Since I am also a research participant it is relevant to discuss the risks I will face as I conduct the project. Given that tabletop role-playing games are no more dangerous than games of Bridge, no physical dangers exist outside of what can happen to the body after it has spent multiple hours (game sessions can easily exceed 12 hours) sitting in a chair eating snacks. There is always the danger that either my examination of tabletop gaming or my increased participation in these games (by perhaps a factor of five each week that fieldwork occurs) will in some way reduce my enjoyment of the art form. Furthermore, I run the risk of suffering financial harm by spending the summer role-playing and not working as much as I otherwise would. These risks do not outweigh the primary benefit I will get out of the project – an MA in Anthropology.

     (b) There are no known or anticipated risks to the research participants that I can think of, and certainly no substantial risks. [TOC]

15. BENEFITS. (a) Describe the benefits and/or any compensation that the human participants can expect, and (b) Describe the gains in knowledge that may result from the research project.

     (a) The benefits the research participants can expect from participating in the proposed project are as follows…

  1. I am going to participate in every game session I observe during the proposed project. As an experienced gamer with eighteen years of playing/performing experience, my participation has the potential to positively impact any game. This is especially true if we look at role-playing games as art forms – the more one practices at them the better one gets at playing them. This benefit is particularly significant when I will participate as a gamemaster considering the amount of preparation this role requires (writing stories, drawing maps, designing characters and so forth).
  2. People who play role-playing games will often contribute to a (large) pool of snacks and drinks that are consumed during game play. I will always contribute to this pool during my participant observations.
  3. Since I own a considerable amount of role-playing game accessories (thousands of dollars worth of books, miniatures, etc.), I will be able to contribute substantial gaming resources to the groups I play in.
  4. While a Master’s Thesis does not often enjoy a wide and varied audience, the proposed project’s ethnographic focus, necessarily centered on the “native perspective,” will allow gamers to comment on their pastime in print (thus giving them a potential “voice” they would not otherwise have in the absence of the project). People who play role-playing games are generally eager to promote their pastime and to teach other people about it - the proposed project will do both.

     (b) The gains in knowledge the project will provide are listed below…

  1. The overwhelming majority of academic works which deal with the topic of tabletop role-playing seem to be written by people who have never participated in role-playing games. As a result, it is easy to stumble across inadequate descriptions of these social practices that only exist in the imaginations of their authors. This is partially the result of something called “ideoculture,” a phenomenon in which small groups develop their own group-specific jargon, references to group history, unique procedures and so on which are easily misinterpreted as “common” aspects of all role-playing games (Fine 1983). My familiarity with role-playing games allows me to sort out what aspects of role-playing game social action is small group specific, and which aspects are common to other gaming groups.
  2. Not only have the few anthropological works dealing with tabletop role-playing games completely misrepresented them, some have portrayed tabletop gaming as a “degenerate” form of role-playing (see Bucholtz 2001: 231-232), inferior to live-action role-playing (where players dress up and physically act out the game rather than playing verbally as one does in a tabletop game). The proposed project will (to the extent that a Master’s Thesis can) correct these failings.
  3. There are few academic works (and almost no anthropological ones) dealing with the topic of tabletop role-playing games. Thus, the proposed project has the potential to expand social science into a relatively unexplored area. [TOC]

16. CERTIFICATION AND SIGNATURES

A. In preparing this IRB application, I certify that:

(1) I have successfully completed the IRB Required Tutorial,
(2) I have read and understand all applicable sections of the IRB Reference Document
and the Informed Consent Process,
(3) I intend to comply with the letter and spirit of the Northern Arizona
University Institutional Review Board policies, and
(4) To the best of my knowledge, the information presented in this
Application is an accurate reflection of the proposed research project.

  •      ______________________________________ Date ___________
Signature(s) of Principal Investigator(s)
Printed Name(s): Michael Van Ness

B. Approval by faculty sponsor (required for all students). I confirm the accuracy of this application, I accept responsibility for the conduct of this research, the supervision of human participants, and the maintenance of informed consent documentation as required by the IRB.

  •      ______________________________________ Date ___________
Signature of Faculty Sponsor
Printed Name: Dr. Reed Riner

C. Approval by Departmental Chair, Dean, Institute Director, or Other Primary Administrator. I confirm the accuracy of the information stated in this application. I am familiar with and I approve of the procedures that involve human participants.

  •      ______________________________________ Date ___________
Signature of Dept. Chair/Dean/Institute Director/Administrator
Printed Name: George J. Gumerman IV.
[TOC]