DO I have to take part?
Your participation in this study is entirely voluntary, you are not obliged to participate if you do not wish to do so. Before you do anything as part of this project, we will describe the study and you will be provided with an information sheet. In addition, you can ask any questions you may have about your involvement. If you agree to take part, we will then ask you to sign a consent form. You are free to withdraw yourself and your data from the project before the date of anonymisation, which is two weeks after your final involvement, without penalty, and without providing a reason. After two weeks, data cannot be withdrawn. Equally, you can ask questions at any time if you are unsure about anything you come across.
What will happen to me if I take part and what will I have to do?
We will ask you to fill out a consent form and a primary questionnaire. Based on the responses of this, you may then be selected to continue to participate further.
We will be interviewing you about your experience as a student doing group work with disabled and non-disabled students, which is expected to be no longer than an hour. This is to allow for high quality and depth of discussion. We will record the video of the conversation for the purpose of transcription. Research data will not be available for sharing outside of the project team and we will use a GDPR-compliant transcription service.
Why might I not be selected for an interview?
We are explicitly looking for disabled students who have completed group work and non-disabled students who have worked in groups with disabled students. We also hope to cover a wide range of different perspectives that may impact group work, and this may mean that you will not be selected. The selection process will randomly choose individuals from different demographic groups.
What are the possible disadvantages and risks involved in taking part in the project?
Completing your interview and questionnaires should not pose any physical risk to you. If you are asked any questions that you deem too personal or feel uncomfortable answering, simply say so and you will not be required to respond. You are not obliged to answer any question if you do not feel happy doing so. We will ask to arrange all data collection events with you at a time that is convenient for you, where you will be comfortable and free to answer the questions without time pressure. If you are affiliated with the University of Bristol, there will be no disadvantages to your status with the University should you wish to withdraw from this study before its completion.
We will also take any COVID precautions very seriously, and the team will wear masks and use hand sanitiser during in-person interactions at your request. Data collection will be carried out entirely online. We can accommodate a request for an in-person meeting held in Bristol only, as we do not have any funds for travel. These interviews will be recorded by a Teams meeting as well to ensure the recordings are always stored in the University One Drive.
Discussions of this nature could bring up some distressing feelings. The research team is not trained to help you navigate such situations. In the case where you would like support you can contact:
The Samaritans by calling 116 123 available 24/7 or emailing
If you need non-urgent information about mental health support and services, you can contact Mind at 0300 123 3393 or email
What are the possible benefits of taking part?
You will be able to claim a gift voucher for Love to Shop OR Amazon for a sum of £20 per interview if you are invited. Your experiences will help advance the knowledge of how students experience group work. Some benefits may help the wider higher education community, such as improving the recommendation of course layout.
What will happen to the results of the research project?
The results of this project will contribute towards Grace Stangroome’s PhD thesis and will potentially be submitted as a paper to a journal or conference. You consent to have your anonymised responses in a published paper by continuing.
If you wish to see the results, they can be available to you upon request. If you are interested, let us know, and we will be happy to send you a copy of our work at the end of the project.
Who organised, funded and reviewed the research?
This study is being organised and funded by The University of Bristol.
The Faculty of Engineering Human Research Ethics Committee has reviewed and approved the project. Any comments, questions or complaints about the ethical conduct of this study can be addressed to the Human Research Ethics Committee at the University of Bristol via the Research Governance and Ethics Team, email: , quoting the title of the study and the approval number 2024-18276-20152.
Further information and contact details
If you have any concerns related to your participation in this study or would like further information, please get in touch with the organiser at
If you have any concerns related to your participation in this study, please get in touch with the Faculty of Engineering Research Ethics Committee via the Research Governance Team,