This form contains information about the Questionnaire found here [https://forms.gle/R638fQxGRtsbD5Fd7] that has been posted to several urban exploration related forums. It is crucial to me using the feedback I am given in my dissertation! So please read through then tick through the options given at the end.

Q: What is this project?

My name is Callum Gillespie and I am a student at Stirling University, Scotland, UK. As part of my Environment, Heritage and Policy Masters degree I have chosen to use urban exploration and related media as a way to look at how people interact with abandoned spaces. Ruined, abandoned, or otherwise forgotten spaces are fascinating to us - urban exploration is one of several activities based around exploring them, and the internet is replete with photography, film, writing and every conceivable form of media dedicated to exploring spaces that have fallen through the cracks of modern society. Putting into words exactly why these spaces have such a strong hold on us is more difficult though, and will be different for everyone. This project is an attempt to apply systematic research to these questions, and explore the value people find in urban exploration.

To do this, I am asking people across various related websites and forums to fill in a ‘semi-structured questionnaire’, that will form a central part of my research project. All the practical details around this can be found below.

Q: Who can contribute to this project?

Everyone! My research angle is not only those who have taken part in urban exploration, but those with a more general interest in abandoned spaces, or who are interested in taking part but have not been able to for whatever reason. I include myself in this group, and indeed this is a large part of the motivation behind this research - to see how those who experience urban exploration ‘from a distance’ can experience these spaces alongside those who have first-hand experience through different kinds of shared media.

In short - anyone who finds themselves here is welcome to take part!

Q: Why should I take part in this project?

Hopefully, you find the subject matter as interesting as I do. The data this project collects will be used in an academic paper exploring urban exploration as an activity, and will ask interesting questions about a subject that all too often does not get a fair representation.

Furthermore, it will be an opportunity to put into words something that I believe we all share an interest in - the draw of the crumbling and forgotten, the empty or forbidden. The format of the questionnaire is intended to encourage introspection, and should hopefully be an interesting pursuit, especially since opportunities to take part in such activities are so curtailed in many parts of the world right now.

There are no conceivable risks or downsides to taking part, and the project has undergone ethical review as part of the Masters program.

Any concerns can be directed to me personally using the contact information provided at the end of this document.

Q: What do I have to do if I decide to take part?

Primarily, answering the attached questionnaire - it is not lengthy, and is intended to be thought-provoking rather than a list of simpler ‘yes or no’ questions. There are xx questions in total, and I would expect the questionnaire to take no more than xx minutes to complete depending on the depth you wish to go into. More in-depth feedback is encouraged, though there is no minimum or maximum expected answer length.

Important! - All correspondence will be strictly confidential, and any feedback quoted in the project will be completely anonymous!

If you find the subject interesting, or just want to have a chat with me about the subject area or my project, there is scope for further interaction. There will be a section in the questionnaire where you can indicate your interest, and arrangements will be made from there. This could be an e-mail discussion or similar, or even an interview if desired. Please bear in mind that this may require extra consent beyond what you will sign up for as part of this questionnaire!

What happens after I have taken part?

Firstly, I go away and write up then analyse my findings, with the final research project being finished at the end of November, 2020. A copy of the research project will be available if requested once completed.

In terms of data, the interviews will be stored on a password-protected external drive, and will only be accessed for the purposes of this research. Once the project has run its course, the data will be deleted. Participants can withdraw from the project at any time, and any data collected will be deleted at the time of the request.

Contact details
e-mail: gillespie.cn@gmail.com