INFORMATION FOR USERS/TERMS OF AGREEMENT

Purpose of this website:

This is a web-based pilot to learn if a Veteran’s military training electronically presented to a prospective employer in the form of a digital badge (graphic icon), along with clear and concise text describing military training associated with that badge creates a tipping point for hiring the Veteran who is seeking work.

What will be done?

After accessing the BadgesforVets website and choosing to register, the Veteran will be presented with a Terms and Agreement (Informed Consent) page.  After reviewing and agreeing to the terms of agreement, the Veteran will be directed to the BadgesforVets registration page. The registration form contains fields for name, email, username (email address), dates of service, branch of service and job classifications all of which will populate the Veteran’s Badge Folder. Additional fields on the registration form will provide for the Veteran to indicate age group, gender, educational attainment and employment status. The form will also provide for the Veteran to indicate whether or not they served in Iraq or Afghanistan. This demographic data is important to the BadgesforVets project and is to be anonymously aggregated for descriptive statistics about groups that use the BadgesforVets website.

Once the Veteran completes the registration information and clicks “submit”, the web application will return to the registered Veteran’s email address their username (email address), password and an active link (URL) to his/her personal Badges folder.  The Veteran can access the contents of his or her folder by logging in and entering their username (email address) and password. The returned URL can be copied into their electronic resume so prospective employers can click the link and browse to the Veteran’s Badges folder.  Veterans also have the ability to copy key text found in their Badges Folder describing their military training and experiences in practical, job related terms and paste into application forms they are filling out.

At any time while accessing the BadgesforVets website both Veterans seeking work and prospective employers reviewing the Badges folders could be asked to complete a brief (5 minutes or less) and anonymous web based survey regarding their experience with the web site.   Participation in the survey is voluntary and optional, but important for helping understand the usefulness of the BadgesforVets web site.

Benefits of this project:

Participants in this project will assist in determining the usefulness of presenting Veterans’ military training in the form of digital badges and text that translates military training into related civilian job skills.  The key questions are:, “Does this tool increase prospective civilian employers’ interest and awareness of the value of high quality military training and increase likelihood of hiring Veterans?”  The second question is, “Does this tool help Veterans describe their military training and skills as they apply for civilian jobs?”

Risks or discomforts:

No risks or discomforts are anticipated from participation in this study.

Confidentiality:

Your IP address (your computer’s address) will not be tracked or recorded when you engage the BadgesforVets web site.  Once you have registered, all of your personal information will be coded to an encrypted database.  Your email address and other information you provide will not be released in any form that might personally identify you.  Rather, your information and that of all other Veterans that access the BadgesforVets website will be gathered together in aggregate form.  This group data will permit the evaluation of the web site’s usefulness for Veterans who are looking for work.  Group data provided by employers will also help assess whether or not translating your military training into civilian job terms helps prospective employers appreciate training you received in the military.

Decision to quit at any time:

Your use of the BadgesforVets website and participation in this study’s research is entirely voluntary.  At any time, if you do not want to continue, simply leave the BadgesforVets website.  If you do not click the “submit” button on the Badges Registration page, your access, information provided and participation will not be recorded.

How findings will be used:

The findings of this study will be used for scholarly purposes only.  No personally identifying information will be released at any time without expressed written consent of the Veteran.  Aggregate (group) descriptive information may be presented in educational settings or at professional conferences.  The findings may be published in a professional journal in the field of digital media and learning.

Contact information:

If you have questions about your rights as a research subject, you may contact the Chairman of Fox Commercial Institutional Review Board, 133 South Fourth Street, Suite 202, Springfield, Illinois 62701.  You can also contact Fox Commercial Institutional Review Board by telephone at (217) 492-1369 or email at foxirb@att.net.  An Institutional Review Board (IRB) is a group of scientific and non-scientific people who review research studies.  The IRB ensures that people who participate in studies are fully informed about the study and ensure that participants’ rights and welfare are protected as required by federal regulations.  If you have concerns or questions regarding the BadgesforVets website, please contact robert.sparkman@badgesforvets.org or eric.burg@badgesforvets.org.