Information sheet addressed to participants
attending activities carried out at MUŻA
Dear Sir/ Madam,
My name is Leah Borg and I am currently reading for a Master of Arts in Cultural Heritage Management at the University of Malta. I graduated in History of Art, and I presently work as a museum professional. Presently, I am conducting research as part of my dissertation titled ‘Dementia-friendly Museums: An Analysis of outreach programmes offered by Art Museums in Malta for people living with dementia’. This is being supervised by Dr Alexia Mercieca (Department of Architecture & Urban Design, Faculty for the Built Environment) and co-supervised by Dr Reuben Grima (Department of Conservation and Built Heritage, Faculty for the Built Environment). This letter is an invitation to participate in this study. Below you will find information about the study and about what your involvement would entail, should you decide to take part.
The aim of my study is to investigate outreach programmes organised at art museums in Malta targeted towards people living with dementia and who may be accompanied by their primary caregivers/ next of kin. Any data collected from this research will be used solely for purposes of this study.
Should you choose to participate, you will be asked to take part in activities organised at MUŻA, the Malta National-Community Art Museum as part of my dissertation research project. The activity will take approximately 45 minutes. The art-related activity organised at MUŻA (the Malta National-Community Art Museum) will include a brief introduction to the chosen artworks and followed by a discussion. The participants will also have the
opportunity to have an object-handling hands-on exercise. During the activity, questions will be asked. These questions are not a test, but will be solely asked to help participants engage with the chosen artworks.
If you choose to participate, you may attend with your primary caregiver/ next of kin guardian.
Data collected will be gathered through an observation study of participants during the activities.
Participation in this activity is on first-come-first-served basis.
During the activity, you are free to speak in English or Maltese.
You are not obliged to answer all the questions asked during the activity.
Data collected will be pseudonymised and that the identity will not be disclosed at any time. The data collected will be treated confidentially and anonymised. Any collected data will be stored securely in an encrypted file on the researcher’s password-protected computer, and only the researcher will have access to this information. Any hard-copy materials will be placed in a locked cabinet/drawer. Your identity will not be revealed/attributed at any point in the results of the study and any ensuing publication.
Participation in this study is entirely voluntary; in other words, you are free to accept or refuse to participate, without needing to give a reason. You are also free to withdraw from the study at any time, without needing to provide any explanation and without any negative repercussions for you. Should you choose to withdraw, any data collected from you will be erased as long as this is technically possible (for example, before it is anonymised or published), unless erasure of data would render impossible or seriously
impair achievement of the research objectives, in which case it shall be retained in an anonymised form. Any data collected that could identify you will not be included in the dissertation, and will be deleted 24 months after the conclusion of the study.
If you choose to participate, please note that there are no direct benefits to you from participating in this study. You must also understand that this research may benefit others by investigating the outreach programmes organised at art museums targeted towards people living with dementia who may be accompanied by their primary caregivers/ next of kin.
Your participation does not entail any known or anticipated risks and all efforts will be made to ensure the questions posed during the activity do not cause any psychological distress, notwithstanding, if you feel that the questions have distressed you in any way, you may make use of the support services listed below. All the services listed down in this letter are free of charge.
Please note also that, as a participant, you have the right under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and national legislation to access, rectify and where applicable ask for the data concerning you to be erased. Any material that identifies you as a participant in this study will be stored securely for the duration of the study and destroyed 24 months after conclusion of the study.
A copy of this information sheet is being provided for you to keep and for future reference. A copy of the consent form will also be provided.
Your identity and personal information will not be revealed in any publications, reports or presentations arising from this research.
You may request a copy of the dissertation once the correction process is complete.
Thank you for your time and consideration. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me over the phone on (+356) 79616884 or via e-mail on leah.l.borg.18@um.edu.mt; or my supervisor over the phone on (+356) 23406242 or via email on alexia.mercieca@um.edu.mt; or you could also contact my co-supervisor over the phone on (+356) 23402855 or via email reuben.grima@um.edu.mt.
Sincerely,
LEAH BORG
leah.l.borg.18@um.edu.mt
(+356) 7961 6884
DR ALEXIA MERCIECA
alexia.mercieca@um.edu.mt
(+356) 2340 6242
Faculty for the Built Environment,
Room 301
SUPERVISOR
DR REUBEN GRIMA
reuben.grima@um.edu.mt
(+356) 2340 2855
Faculty for the Built Environment, Room 208
CO-SUPERVISOR
FREE SUPPORT SERVICES
Name of student researcher: Leah Borg
Course: Master of Arts in Cultural Heritage Management
Student’s contact email: leah.l.borg.18@um.edu.mt
Student’s contact number: (+356) 7961 6884
Research supervisor: Dr Alexia Mercieca
Supervisor’s email: alexia.mercieca@um.edu.mt
Supervisor’s contact number: (+356) 2340 6242
Research co-supervisor: Dr Reuben Grima
Co-supervisor’s email: reuben.grima@um.edu.mt
Co-supervisor’s contact number: (+356) 2340 2855
Title of Research Study: ‘Dementia-friendly Museums: An Analysis of outreach programmes offered by Art Museums in Malta for people living with dementia’
Dear Participant,
I hope this email finds you well.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your participation in this study. I appreciate your involvement and cooperation throughout this entire process.
I would like to remind you of the aims of this study; namely to investigate outreach programmes organised at art museums in Malta targeted towards people living with dementia who may be accompanied by their primary caregivers/ next of kin.
This study was not anticipated to cause distress and the interview questions were formatted in as sensitive a manner as possible. However, if your participation has led you to experience any distress or discomfort for whatever reason, then overleaf I have included some information about services that offer free professional support that you might find helpful.
Kindly do not hesitate to contact me if you have any queries. If you require any additional information or wish to report any concerns about this study, please do not hesitate to contact both myself, on (+356) 79616884, my research supervisor Dr Alexia Mercieca on (+356) 23406242 or my research co-supervisor Dr Reuben Grima on (+356) 23402855.
Kind regards,
LEAH BORG
leah.l.borg.18@um.edu.mt
(+356) 7961 6884
DR ALEXIA MERCIECA
alexia.mercieca@um.edu.mt
(+356) 2340 6242
Faculty for the Built Environment,
Room 301
SUPERVISOR
DR REUBEN GRIMA
reuben.grima@um.edu.mt
(+356) 2340 2855
Faculty for the Built Environment, Room 208
CO-SUPERVISOR
Dementia Intervention Team
Provides services in the community for persons living with dementia and their caregivers.
Malta Dementia Society
It is a non-government and non-profit organisation for persons living with dementia, as well as their caregivers, families and friends.
Website: https://maltadementiasociety.org.mt/
Telephone number: (+356) 9945 1625
Email address: info@maltadementiasociety.org.mt
Dear Sir/Madam,
My name is Rachel Spiteri and I am a student at the University of Malta, at present reading for M.A in Creativity and Innovation. I am conducting a research study for my thesis entitled “Perspectives on the Future of Technological Devices that Aid Mobility for People with Chronic Neurological Conditions”. The purpose behind this study is to delve into the perceptions of stakeholders on technological devices that aid mobility for people with chronic neurological conditions and to discover which features and functions should be implemented in future mobility devices. This project is being conducted under the supervision of Prof. Sandra Dingli (sandra.m.dingli@um.edu.mt).
Attached to this email kindly find a recruitment email and letter of information for your perusal. I would appreciate it if you could forward the recruitment email and letter of information to anyone who falls under the eligibility criteria . These include: a) patients with chronic neurological disorders who are adults between the ages of 25 to 75 diagnosed by a healthcare professional, suffering from physical fatigue, living in Malta and who make use of mobility assistive technology; b) Neurologists with at least three years’ experience in the field c) Physiotherapists d) Occupational Therapists e) Access to Communication & Technology Unit (ACTU) representative f) President of a Neurological Organisation; and g) Foreign People who live in Malta and who work in the Neurological field. Participation will be entirely voluntary and participants will be free to withdraw from the study at any point, without any repercussions. If anyone decides to do so, all the relevant data will be deleted accordingly. Data will be pseudonymised and only I, the supervisor and, if necessary, the dissertation’s examiners will have access to the data. Should you require further information, please do not hesitate to contact me or my supervisor.
Thank you for your kind consideration of this request. I hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
Rachel Spiteri
