Interview Protocol
Prior to the Interview
- Review and complete Informed Consent if not already complete.
- Begin recording.
The Interview:
- Thank participants for agreeing to participate in this research project.
- Confirm with interviewee that the consent to the interview and the recording.
Note: Some questions are only applicable to a particular stakeholder group. They are indicated as follows: T: Team member, M: Mentor, O: Organizers & Facilitators.
| Research Question | Interview Question |
| Background, demographics & warm-up | For our first question, can you tell me a bit about yourself and your background? (Education (level of degree & discipline area), job experience, family/friends, age, interests). |
| 2a, 3b | Tell me about your background with entrepreneurship and how you came to be interested in learning more about entrepreneurship? |
| 2a, 3b | Have you ever worked for or started an entrepreneurial venture / startup company? |
| 2a, 3b | Has anyone in your family or close network of friends worked for or started an entrepreneurial venture / startup company? |
| 2a, 3b | Did you have any previous entrepreneurial education prior to participating in Ewits? |
| Background | T&M: How did you learn about Ewits? |
| 2a | T&M: What did you hope to learn from your participation in Ewits? |
| 2a | T&M: What do you feel you gained from your participation in Ewits? |
| 2a, 2c | T: Do you feel confident that you have the knowledge, skills and or inclination to launch or work for a startup venture? |
| 2a, 2c | T: How did participation in Ewits affect your confidence the you could be a successful entrepreneur or employee of a startup? |
| 2a, 2c | T: How did participation in Ewits contribute to your personal desire to become an entrepreneur or work for a startup? |
| 2a, 3c | M: How well do you believe the Ewits program prepared your team to understand the skills and challenges of becoming an entrepreneur? |
| 1 | O: Tell me about how you first got involved with Ewits? |
| 3a | Do you feel like gender will impact your ability to be successful in entrepreneurship or a science/technology focused career? |
| 1, 3a | M&O: How do you envision Ewits will help participants to address the gender issues in technology and entrepreneurship? |
| 3a | T: Do you feel like participating in an all-female entrepreneurship education program had any impact on your perception of your ability to succeed in entrepreneurship or technology careers? |
| 2a, 2b | T: Do you have any future entrepreneurial interests or plans? |
| 3b | T: Are there any other factors or considerations that impact your entrepreneurial interests or plans? |
| 1,2,3 | Is there anything else you would like to share with us about your participation in Ewits that you think would benefit our research? |
Information after the interview:
Thank participants for their participation and remind them that I will follow up with a transcript for their review and further input.
Informed Consent
Working Title
Empowering Women in Technology Startups: The Impact of Women’s Entrepreneurial Education
Please read this consent document carefully before you decide to participate in this study.
Purpose of the research study
The overarching goal of this research is to develop an understanding of whether participation in Empowering Women in Technology Startups (Ewits®) entrepreneurial education program has a positive impact on women’s entrepreneurial personal attitudes (desirability of entrepreneurship) and intentions (feasibility of entrepreneurship).
What you will be asked to do in the study
During this study we will interview program organizers, mentors and team members who participated in one of the five offerings of Ewits® held between 2012 and 2016. Interviews will be conducted in person or via video conferencing at a mutually agreed upon time, date and place scheduled between the interviewee and interviewer. Interviews are expected to last approximately 45 minutes to one hour. All interviews will be recorded using an audio recording device and transcribed for analysis. The written transcriptions will be shared with you to give you an opportunity to review your responses to ensure we fully understood your perspectives.
Time required
1 hour
Risks and Benefits
There are no known risks to participants. There are no expected benefits for individual participants. Although the results from this study may help Ewits assess and improve the program, neither the principal researcher or faculty advisor have any direct involvement in the establishment or oversight of Ewits. The principal researcher has participated in the Ewits program as a team mentor.
Confidentiality
Your identity will be kept confidential to the extent provided by law. Your information will be assigned a code number. The list connecting your name to this number will be kept in a secure file, in a secure server. When the study is completed and the data have been analyzed, the list will be destroyed. Your name will not be used in any report. All recordings and transcripts will be stored in a secure server and will not be connected to your name or any personally identifying information. At the end of this study, all audio recordings will be destroyed.
Voluntary participation
Your participation in this study is completely voluntary. There is no penalty for not participating. In addition, during the interview, you will have the right to waive any question you do not wish to answer.
Right to withdraw from the study
You have the right to withdraw from the study at any time without consequence.
Who to contact if you have questions about the study
Principal Researcher: Cheryl Calhoun, PhD Candidate, School of Teaching & Learning, College of Education, University of Florida, cdcalhoun19@ufl.edu, 352.575.0261
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Carole Beal, Professor, College of Education, University of Florida, crbeal@coe.ufl.edu, 352.273.4178
Who to contact about your rights as a research participant in the study
IRB02 Office
Box 112250
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL 32611-2250
phone 392-0433.
Agreement
I have read the procedure described above. I voluntarily agree to participate in the procedure and I have received a copy of this description.
Participant: ____________________________________ Date: _________________
Principal Investigator: _________________________ Date: _________________
Interview Questions
Note: Some questions are only applicable to a particular stakeholder group. They are indicated as follows: T: Team member, M: Mentor, O: Organizers & Facilitators.
- For our first question, can you tell me a bit about yourself and your background? (Education (level of degree & discipline area), job experience, family/friends, age, interests).
- Tell me about your background with entrepreneurship and how you came to be interested in learning more about entrepreneurship?
- Have you ever worked for or started an entrepreneurial venture / startup company?
- Has anyone in your family or close network of friends worked for or started an entrepreneurial venture / startup company?
- Did you have any previous entrepreneurial education prior to participating in Ewits?
- T&M: How did you learn about Ewits?
- T&M: What did you hope to learn from your participation in Ewits?
- T&M: What do you feel you gained from your participation in Ewits?
- T: Do you feel confident that you have the knowledge, skills and or inclination to launch or work for a startup venture?
- T: How did participation in Ewits affect your confidence the you could be a successful entrepreneur or employee of a startup?
- T: How did participation in Ewits contribute to your personal desire to become an entrepreneur or work for a startup?
- M: How well do you believe the Ewits program prepared your team to understand the skills and challenges of becoming an entrepreneur?
- O: Tell me about how you first got involved with Ewits?
- Do you feel like gender will impact your ability to be successful in entrepreneurship or a science/technology focused career?
- M&O: How do you envision Ewits will help participants to address the gender issues in technology and entrepreneurship?
- T: Do you feel like participating in an all-female entrepreneurship education program had any impact on your perception of your ability to succeed in entrepreneurship or technology careers?
- T: Do you have any future entrepreneurial interests or plans?
- T: Are there any other factors or considerations that impact your entrepreneurial interests or plans?
- Is there anything else you would like to share with us about your participation in Ewits that you think would benefit our research?
Letter to Potential Interviewee Candidates
Note: This letter will be sent via e-mail to all potential interviewee candidates from my official UF e-mail at cdcalhoun19@ufl.edu
Dear Potential Interviewee Name:
I am an PhD Candidate at the University of Florida. As part of my dissertation research I am conducting interviews with individuals who have previously participated in Empowering Women in Technology Startups (Ewits®) entrepreneurial education program as either a program organizer, a mentor, or a team member. The purpose of these interviews is to develop an understanding of whether participation in Ewits® has an impact on women’s entrepreneurial personal attitudes and intentions. I am asking you to participate in this interview because you have been identified as a past participant in the Ewits® program.
Your interview will be conducted in person or via video conferencing at a time, date and place mutually agreed upon. Interviews will last approximately 45 minutes to one hour. With your permission I will record the interview using an audio recording device. The audio recording will be used to create a transcript of the interview which you will have an opportunity to review and provide additional input to ensure I fully understand your perspectives. For your review, I’ve attached a schedule of questions to this e-mail. I’ve also attached a copy of the Informed Consent agreement which will need to be signed and returned to me prior to conducting an interview. Feel free to sign and scan a copy to return via e-mail, or if we are conducting an in person interview, we can sign the agreement prior to beginning our interview.
If you have any questions about this research protocol, please contact me at cdcalhoun19@ufl.edu or 352.575.0261 or my faculty supervisor, Dr. Carole Beal, at 352.273.4178. Questions or concerns about your rights as a research participant rights may be directed to the IRB02 office, University of Florida, Box 112250, Gainesville, FL 32611; (352) 392-0433.
Thank you in advance for considering participation in this research project. I look forward to speaking with you and learning more about your experiences with the Ewits® program.
Cheryl Calhoun
Attachments:
Informed Consent
Interview Questions