Survey: CTSA-funded Macroalgae Project Seeks Consumer Feedback on Limu
The CTSA project “Next Steps in Culture of Native Hawaiian Macroalgae: Scale-up and Market Analysis” is growing several species of native limu at the Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Center in Hilo, Hawaii. In addition to scaling up production capacity, an critical part of the project is gauging interest and market acceptance of these seaweed species.
The project research group has prepared a survey to help determine the market’s potential for edible native Hawaiian limu products and guide the project as research continues. All responses are anonymous, and the survey should take a total of about 10 minutes to complete. We encourage you to respond honestly and appreciate your participation in this project. Click here to participate in the survey.
First, please review the below consent form/information. After reviewing this information, you may proceed to the survey here: https://utamsmr.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_50IooDf4MFPilyC
What am I being asked to do? If you participate in this project, you will be asked to fill out a survey. It will take 10-15 minutes. The survey is accessed by the link provided in the original recruitment email. https://utamsmr.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_50IooDf4MFPilyC. Taking part in this study is your choice. Your participation in this project is completely voluntary. You may stop participating at any time. If you stop being in the study, there will be no penalty or loss to you.
Why is this study being done? The purpose of this project is to gauge potential interest in this product and explore consumer perspectives for the sake of product development and marketing potential. The information will guide us to choose limu to grow and recommend to others to cultivate for fun and profit.
What will happen if I decide to take part in this study? The survey will consist of several product evaluation questions about three species of Native Hawaiian limu (seaweed) and your own personal opinions about the theoretical purchase of this product. The sample question will be “Currently, how interested are you in purchasing this product?” with a 7-point scale (1 = strongly disagree, 7= strongly agree).
What are the risks and benefits of taking part in this study? We perceive no possible risks for the study. If you feel stressed or uncomfortable, you can take a break. You can also stop taking the survey or you can withdraw from the project altogether. Participation in this research study is voluntary. You have the right to decline participation in any or all study procedures or quit at any time at no consequence. There will be no direct benefit or repercussions to you for participating in this survey. Your answers will provide important feedback on how this product might perform.
Confidentiality and Privacy: We will not ask you for any personal information, such as your name or address. Please do not include any personal information in your survey responses. I will keep all study data secure in a locked filing cabinet in a locked office/encrypted on a password-protected computer. Only I will have access to the information. Other agencies that have legal permission have the right to review research records. The University of Hawai’i Human Studies Program has the right to review research records for this study.
Future Research Studies: Identifiers will be removed from your identifiable private information and after the removal of identifiers, the data may be used for future research studies or distributed to another investigator for future research studies and we will not seek further approval from you for these future studies.
Questions: If you have any questions about this study, please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). You may contact the UH Human Studies Program at 808.956.5007 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to discuss problems, concerns, and questions, obtain information, or offer input with an informed individual who is unaffiliated with the specific research protocol. Please visit http://go.hawaii.edu/jRd for more information on your rights as a research participant.
To Access the Survey: Continue to the first page of the survey implies your consent to participate in this study. Continue to the first page of the survey also implies your consent to use the data (without identifiers) for future research studies or distributed to another investigator. And we will not seek further approval from you for these future studies.