What happens if you decide to take part?

If you decide to be part of this study, your participation will involve:
· Consenting to be interviewed by way of an exchange of e-mails.
· This will consist of 3-4 e-mail exchanges over a timescale to suit (and/or a telephone interview if this is preferred)
· The interview will focus upon your personal experiences of weight loss management practices in the UK, both past and present.
· You will be encouraged to identify themes that are of interest to you.
· The e-mail interview will be saved anonymously for future reference for the academic purposes as described below.

The following procedures will be followed in order to keep your personal information confidential:
· To protect your confidentiality, your name will not appear in any publications. You will be assigned a pseudonym (a fake name) that will be used instead of your real name in order to disguise your participation from the beginning. The research team will use this pseudonym at all times so that your information is totally anonymised and depersonalised. A master index will be kept on a computer encrypted file, so that your details can be located should you wish to withdraw your information from the study at any time.

· The data that is collected about you will be kept private. The data will be stored anonymously. It will be stored on a password protected Plymouth University computer and password protected laptop, with password encryption package ‘Truecrypt’ that would prevent data being accessed if the laptop was stolen. Only the research team will have access to the dataset. This will be kept in line with Plymouth University Regulations. University Policy requires all data collected for research purposes be stored for ten years before being destroyed.

· To make sure that the research is being conducted in the proper way, the Plymouth University Faculty of Health, Education & Society’s Research Ethics Committee have access to the research records. 

· The Plymouth University, Faculty of Health, Education & Society Research Ethics Committee have approved this study. If you wish you can request an executive summary of the research when completed and the opportunity to read the full version if requested. 

· Your participation in this study is voluntary and you are under no obligation to participate in this study.

· You have the right to change your mind and leave the study at any time without giving any reason and without any penalty, upon which all personal information will be immediately destroyed. 

· If you wish to withdraw contact the researcher, either via the e-mail address or by writing to the lead researcher whose contact details are below. 

· Any new information that might make you change your mind about being in the study will be provided to you.

· If you have an eating disorder you are strongly advised not to participate in this research.

If you consent to participate in this research then please e-mail the team at:

weightlossmanagementresearch@gmail.com 

And on the Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Weight-Loss-Management-Research/143523592473107