Oral History Project - Informed Consent

• You will be one of ten persons interviewed.
• Your interview will last approximately from 45 minutes to one hour.
• You will be asked questions about your background, your education, your career, and your thoughts on living in USM, Maine.
• Your interview will be audio taped. A transcript will be made from the tape. You will be given the opportunity to review and edit the transcript prior to its further use.
• You will be asked to be photographed, however, you may choose not to be photographed.

• You may find that people disagree with some of your opinions or your interpretations of historical events and that this disagreement could be strong. This could include family members or members of the general public.
• You may have the satisfaction of knowing that you are helping to preserve the history of the people of USM, Maine. You may also gain some public recognition for your participation in this project.

Your rights

This project is voluntary. You do not have to answer any questions that you do not wish to answer. You may stop your participation at any time during the interview. If you do not want to be identified by name, we will assign you a number and you will not be asked specific questions about the identification of your parents or relatives. Your contact information such as address and telephone will not be disclosed to the public. If you choose not to participate it will not affect your relationship with the University of Southern Maine nor will there be any penalty or loss of benefits to which you are already entitled.

Deposit of materials

• You will agree to have the final edited transcript stored at the Oral History Archives of Maine at the University of Southern Maine. You will have to sign a release form for the Oral History Archives of Maine before this can be done. The transcript will be available for use by researchers, teachers, and students, or other members of the public. Their results may be displayed publicly or published. The materials may also be used for public display or publication by the Oral History Archives of Maine.
• You will agree to have a copy of the final transcript given to the Portland Public Library to be stored in the Maine History Collection. You will have to sign a release form for the Oral History Archives of Maine before this can be done. This will be available for use by researchers, teachers, students, or other members of the public. Their results may not be published, duplicated, or displayed without written permission of the Oral History Archives.
• You will be asked to agree to have the original audio tape stored at the Oral History Archives of Maine. You will have to sign a release form for the Oral History Archives of Maine before this can be done. The audio tape may be available for use by researchers, teachers, students, or other members of the public. Their results may be displayed publicly or published. (Note: You may choose not to have your audio tape deposited in the Archives. The audio tape of your interview will be returned to you upon deposit of your final transcript in the Archives.)

Participants may contact the project co-director, ______________, for pertinent questions about the research, at (207) 777-7777 or OOOOO@usm.maine.edu. For questions about your rights as a research subject you may contact: The Office of Research Compliance at the University of Southern Maine at (207) 780-4268 or TTY (207) 780-5646.

Yes____ No____ I consent to the use of my name.
Yes____ No____ I consent to be photographed.
Yes____ No____ I would like to review and edit the transcript prior to its use.
Yes____ No____ I consent to the deposit of the audio tape in the Oral History Archives of Maine and I understand that I will have to sign their Release Form.

I have read (or have had read to me) the contents of this consent form and I understand it. I have been encouraged to ask questions and I have received answers to my questions. I give my consent to participate in this study and I have indicated above my choices for participation or not in the certain activities of this study. I have received (or will receive) a copy of this consent form.

Name: (Please print) ____________________________________________
Address: ________________________________________________
Telephone: _______________________________________________

Signature: Date: _______________

Oral History Archives of Maine, University of Southern Maine
Oral History Interview Release Form

I,___________________________ , hereby convey to the Oral History Archives of Maine (hereafter referred to as “the Archives”), University of Southern Maine Library, legal title and assign all literary property rights, including copyright, which I may have in an interview recorded with me on ________________(date), in ________________ (city/state) as part of its USM, Maine oral history project.

The audio recording will be housed in the Archives as part of the Maine History Collection, to be available for research, and to be administered in accordance with the Archives’ policies. The Archives shall also have the right to use, reproduce, exhibit, or publish this material. It is understood that this agreement covers original recordings and any transcript or other reproduction of the originals made by the Archives.

This agreement does not preclude any use I may want to make of the information in the recording itself.

It is also agreed that a transcript will be deposited in the Maine History Collection at the Portland Public Library. The Archives shall retain copyright over this copy as well, and it may not be duplicated, published, or exhibited without permission of the Archives.

Signature: __________________________________ Date: ______________

Close this window to return to the IRB Web page