1. What is this project studying?
The purpose of my study is to explore the impact of the Contemporary Romance Genre (CRG) and (sub-genres) on reader’s intimacy and the influence of social media on the decisions readers make about which books they read (specifically, sexual satisfaction, communication and types of romance read).  

2. What will I do if I participate?
If you chose to participate in the semi-structured interview after completing the survey, you may be asked to schedule a 45-60-minute-long interview with the Primary Investigator, Jennifer Greenberg, LICSW, LCSW-C, CST, CSCT.  The interview will focus going deeper about your relationship with the contemporary romance genre, sexuality, intimacy and communication with your partner(s) or others about the romance you read.  The interview will be recorded for research and coding purposes.  

3. Can I quit if I become uncomfortable?
Yes, absolutely.  The interview questions have been reviewed by Daybreak University’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) and it is assumed that you can answer these questions comfortably.  However, you can stop the interview at any time if you feel uncomfortable answering questions.  Participation is voluntary.

4. How are you protecting my privacy?
The researcher will assign an ID number to each participant and no real names or identifying information will appear on the data. Only the ID numbers will be recorded on the recording device. The recording file of the interview is for transcription purposes only, and the audio files will be destroyed after transcription. Confidentiality of data will be fully protected possible under existing regulations and laws. No identifying information about participants will appear in any written report or presentation related to this study. The project’s research data may be inspected by Daybreak Institutional Review Board to ensure that participants’ rights are being protected. You also have the right to inspect the data.

5. I have some questions about this study.  Who can I ask?
This study is being run by Jennifer Greenberg, a PhD student at Daybreak University in Los Angeles, CA.  If you have questions, you may call Jennifer at 202- 827-5360 or email her at jennifer@daybreak.edu.  You may also email Dr. Mei-Ju Ko at merylko@daybreak.edu.  Daybreak University also has an Institutional Review Board that protects the rights of people who participate in research.  You may reach them at 213-290-8863.  

6. Will I benefit from participating?
There are no direct benefits to you as a participant.  However, your participation in this study will have an opportunity to help develop better treatment options for individuals and couples dealing with intimacy issues.  Additionally, your email address will be entered into a randomized raffle to win one of 10 amazon gift cards ($20 each).  Once data is finished being collected 10 participants will be randomly selected as the winner and will be contacted via the email that was given.  

Jennifer H. Greenberg, LICSW, LCSW-C, CST, CSCT
Doctoral Student
Human Sexuality and Sex Therapy Program
Daybreak University
Jennifer@daybreak.edu