Consent Form for BioCoRE Users
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Dear BioCoRE Users:

BioCoRE, an integrated, tool oriented computing and communication environment, harnesses distributed computing and collaboration in biomedicine, biophysics, chemistry, and related fields.  This network centered meta-application supports the utilization of a wide range of computation tools; record keeping; communication; and preparation of multi-author articles and reports.

The BioCoRE collaboratory will reach its full potential only with the input of the researchers it is meant to serve.  As an accomplished member of this community your expertise, opinions, and patterns of use of BioCoRE are critical to the evaluation and further evolution of BioCoRE.

Information about BioCoRE users and their use of BioCoRE is exclusively used to evaluate BioCoRE and its impact on doing science, in order to make BioCoRE a better tool for you.

Before proceeding with your registration please review carefully the following information.

The BioCoRE Evaluation Team.
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Title: BioCoRE Evaluation Program.

Performance Site:  Theoretical and Computational Biophysics Group, Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Investigators:  Klaus Schulten, Principal Investigator; Laxmikant V. Kale, CO-Principal Investigator. Please contact David Brandon with questions about this study, M-F, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. at (217) 244-5711 or at brandon@ks.uiuc.edu.

Purpose of the BioCoRE Evaluation Program:  BioCoRE provides communication, record keeping, report writing, and computational tools to assist collaborations in the biomedical, biophysics, chemistry, and related fields.  The purpose of the BioCoRE evaluation program is to gather data on the effectiveness and utility of BioCoRE as a collaborative tool and the impact of BioCoRE use on scientific practices and social/behavioral outcomes associated with scientific research.

User Inclusion:  All individuals who register with BioCoRE constitute the evaluation program's pool of users.  By becoming a BioCoRE user, you are agreeing to be monitored for evaluation purposes while using BioCoRE.

Evaluation Procedure:  Information on BioCoRE users and the use of BioCoRE itself is collected at several points in time: during registration, when projects are started, annually, and throughout the use of BioCoRE.  At registration, users are asked to provide personal information on the BioCoRE Registration Form.  For each new project, users are asked to provide a minimal description of the project on the BioCoRE Project Data Form.  Periodically, users are asked to complete BioCoRE User Surveys.  Information is also collected for evaluation throughout the use of BioCoRE including records of on-line communication (e.g. on-line chats, audio/video), tool usage trends (e.g. moving from one tool to another, choice of analytical tools, use frequency), time on-line (e.g. gross amount of time on-line, time spent using different tools), and other data on patterns and utilization of BioCoRE.

Benefits:  The information gathered is used to evaluate and enhance BioCoRE as a collaborative tool, which in turn benefits BioCoRE users and facilitates more effective collaborations.

Risks:  BioCoRE is designed as a secure program, and preventing information leaks is a top priority of the BioCoRE team.  You may review the section on the security of BioCoRE records by going to "BioCoRE Security".

Right to Refuse:  To be able to use BioCoRE you have to agree that the data collected by us as described above can be used for evaluation purposes.  You have the right to terminate your consent at any time which would also terminate your BioCoRE privileges.

Privacy:  Results of the evaluation efforts may be published, but no names or identifying information will be included in the publication(s).  User identity will remain anonymous and confidential unless disclosure is required by law.

I agree that I'm at least eighteen years of age and I'm voluntarily participating in this study. I understand the study described above, and its conditions.  I may direct additional questions regarding the study to the investigators.  If I have questions about users' rights or other concerns, I can address them to Dr. Van A. Anderson, IRB, 417 Swanlund Administration Building, MC-304, UIUC (217/333-2760) or email irb@uiuc.edu. Participants should print a copy of this form for their records.

 

University of Illinois Approved Consent Form Valid until 10/20/2004

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