Participant Forms

MAPP Participation Information Sheet — General Public

Version 2.0 December 2021

Title of Project: Mapping Portsmouth’s Plastic (MAPP)

Name and Contact Details of Researcher: Sam Winton, Samuel.Winton@port.ac.uk

Ethics Committee Reference Number: SHFEC 2021-103

 

1. Invitation

We are asking all residents of Portsmouth to join the MAPP project and help us map plastic pollution throughout the city. Participation is entirely voluntary and this information sheet is provided to help you understand why we need your help and how the research will be used. Please take some time to read this information before signing up to the survey. Feel free to discuss this with friends/ family and please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions.

The project is being run by the Revolution Plastics team at the University of Portsmouth in partnership with Jetsam Tech.

2. Study Summary

We need help to map the locations and type of plastic litter during 5 city-wide plastic surveys. You will be asked to spend a short amount of time surveying your local area. We will then work with the community to identify patterns, potentially identifying pollution hotspots, sources and common types of litter. Once we have the data we will work with the Portsmouth community to co-design solutions to the plastic problem. We believe this project is the first of its kind in the world and has the potential to be used in cities across the world to tackle the global plastic problem.   

3. What is the purpose of the study?

Plastic pollution affects all of our lives but there is very little city-scale data on plastic pollution. This is largely because collecting this data would be extremely expensive and time consuming. Without this data it is nearly impossible to deliver targeted actions to reduce plastic pollution in cities. Using citizen science to tackle this problem allows us to collect the large amount of data we need. We also believe that including the public and businesses in the co-design of solutions will improve the quality of the solutions and the likelihood of them being adopted successfully. Portsmouth will serve as a testbed for this approach and it is our hope that we can take what is learned from Portsmouth and develop the method for use in other cities in the UK and globally. 

The project aims to answer a number of key questions:

• Can this methodology successfully track plastic pollution?
• Where on Portsea Island are plastic pollution hotspots found?
• Can the data collected lead to the development of interventions to alleviate plastic pollution? 

4. Why have I been invited?

We are inviting everyone who lives, works, or spends time on Portsea Island, over the age of 16 to help us. Portsmouth is a large city so we need as many participants as we can get. The only requirement is that you have access to a smartphone running IOS or Android and have downloaded the Jetsam app for your app store. Unfortunately, for safety reasons we cannot accept participants under 16 unless they are participating with a responsible adult who will collect data. 

5. Do I have to take part? 

No, taking part in this research is entirely voluntary and It is up to you to decide if you want to volunteer for the project. We will describe the study in this information sheet. If you agree to take part then please sign up for the MAPP survey in the Jetsam app and confirm that you have read this information and the consent form by ticking the box. 

6. What will happen to me if I take part?

The 5 city wide plastic surveys will take place between November 2021 and May 2022. The exact dates will be listed on the project webpage. We are asking you to take 15-30 minutes on one of these days to survey an area of your choice on Portsea Island. For most people this will be the area you live in but this could be where you work or any other location you choose. During this survey you will take photographs of any litter you see in the Jetsam app. This activity will not be supervised by the research team so you are free to conduct the survey whenever is convenient for you on the given dates.

While many people may wish to collect the plastic waste they photograph, this is not required. If you do choose to collect litter then we recommend you follow the safety advice provided in section 10.

7. Expenses and payments 

Unfortunately, we are not able to offer any payment or reimbursement of expenses incurred through participation in this project.

8. Anything else I will have to do? 

Before joining the survey, you will need to download the Jetsam app. We ask that you then sign up to the MAPP survey in the ‘My Surveys’ section of the app and join. When you join the survey you will be asked to indicate which of the Jetsam survey ‘hubs’ is nearest to the area you intend to survey. This helps us to know how many people are collecting the survey in various parts of the city. Please note that you do not need to start the survey from this location. Signing up for the surveys requires an email address. If you do not wish to provide this then you can still contribute data to the survey as all data collected in the app on the survey dates will be analysed.

9. What data will be collected and / or measurements taken? 

When conducting the survey, you will be asked to take photographs of litter you see within the Jetsam app. The project focuses on plastic litter but please take photos of all litter you see. This will help us to understand how much litter in Portsmouth is plastic. These photos will be automatically geotagged, allowing us to work out the location of the plastic waste you are recording. You will also be asked to identify the type of litter you are photographing from a list. This data will then be analysed to detect any patterns in plastic waste.

In order to join the survey you will need to allow the Jetsam app to access your camera and location data, as well as giving access to your phone storage. For further details please see the app store listing.  

10. What are the possible disadvantages, burdens and risks of taking part? 

When conducting the survey, you will be in Portsmouth without supervision from the research team. While this should pose no more risk to you than your normal daily activities, it is important that you take reasonable steps to make sure you are safe. You are best placed to make your own judgments on your own personal safety but please take note of the points below:

• Please do not conduct this survey if you are under 16 without the direct supervision of a responsible adult to act as the data collector.
• Consider conducting the survey with another person to avoid working alone (only one of you would need to collect data).
• Consider avoiding collecting data during hours of darkness, especially if working alone.
• Only conduct the survey in areas you are familiar with and in which you feel safe.
• When conducting the survey, please ensure you pay attention to your surroundings, especially when collecting data near roads.
• If you do choose to collect the plastic litter you photograph, please use a litter picker and gloves.

Please contact the research team if you have any concerns about safety. In the case of an emergency always contact 999 in the first instance.

11. What are the possible advantages or benefits of taking part?

By taking part you will be helping us understand the extent of the plastic problem in Portsmouth. We hope that the Portsmouth community including the council and local businesses, can use this information to reduce the amount of plastic on our streets. If successful this could have a large impact on the city environment giving us all a cleaner and safer place to live.

12. Will my data be kept confidential?

To register for the MAPP survey, you will need to provide Jetsam with at least an email address to create a Jetsam account. If you wish to collect data without providing any personal information then simply conduct the survey without signing in. The data is not publicly accessible. If you wish to withdraw from the survey you can request that all personal data held by Jetsam is destroyed by contacting them directly. 

Data collected during the survey and shared with the public is made anonymous. It will not be possible to identify individual users. This anonymous data, which does not identify you, will be publicly shared throughout the project and after it ends. Once data has been anonymised it will not usually be possible to delete your data from analysed datasets. However, you will be able to request that any photographs taken are deleted by contacting Jetsam directly.

13. What will happen if I don’t want to carry on with the study? 

As a volunteer you can stop collecting data at any time, without providing a reason or contacting the research team.  If you wish to withdraw the data (photographs and associated data) you have collected from the research you can do this by contacting Jetsam through the app. You will not be asked to provide any reason for this. The data collected can be destroyed and not included in the study. Once data has been anonymised it will not usually be possible to delete your data from analysed datasets. However, you will be able to request that any photographs taken are deleted by contacting Jetsam directly.

14. What if there is a problem?

If you have a query, concern or complaint about any aspect of this study, in the first instance you should contact the researcher if appropriate. The contact details for the researcher are detailed on page 1.

If your concern or complaint is not resolved by the researcher or their supervisor, you should contact the Head of Department:

The Head of Department - Dr Michelle Hale
School of the Environment, Geography and Geosciences
University of Portsmouth                                  
University House
Winston Churchill Avenue
Portsmouth
PO1 2UP

023 9284 2994
sci-enquiries@port.ac.uk

If the complaint remains unresolved, please contact: 

The University Complaints Officer
023 9284 3642
complaintsadvice@port.ac.uk

15. Who is funding the research? 

This research is being funded by a charitable donation paid to the university by Stichting The Flotilla Charitable Foundation. None of the researchers or study staff will receive any financial reward by conducting this study, other than their normal salary.

16. Who has reviewed the study?

Research involving human participants is reviewed by an ethics committee to ensure that the dignity and well-being of participants is respected. This study has been reviewed by the Science and Health Faculty Ethics Committee and has been given favourable ethical opinion. 

Thank you

Thank you for taking time to read this information sheet and for considering volunteering for this research.

 

 

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MAPP Consent Form

 

Title of Project: Mapping Portsmouth’s Plastic (MAPP)

Name and Contact Details of Researcher: Sam Winton, Samuel.Winton@port.ac.uk

University Data Protection Officer: Samantha Hill, 023 9284 3642 or information-matters@port.ac.uk 

Ethics Committee Reference Number: SHFEC 2021-103

 

1. I confirm that I have read and understood the information sheet dated December 2021 (version 2.0) for the above study. I have had the opportunity to consider the information, ask questions and have had these answered satisfactorily
2. I understand that my participation is voluntary and that I am free to withdraw at any time without giving any reason.
3. I understand that data collected during this study will be processed in accordance with data protection law as explained in the Participant Information Sheet (Version 2.0, December 2021).
4. I understand that to maximise the re-use and societal benefit of this research, anonymous data (which does not identify me) will be publicly shared at the end of the project and made open access under a CC-BY licence. I understand that this means anyone else (including researchers, businesses, governments, charities, and the general public) will be allowed to use this anonymised data for any purpose that they wish (including commercial purposes), providing that they credit the University and research team as the original creators.
5. I understand that the results of this study may be published and / or presented at meetings or academic conferences, and may be provided to the Flotilla Foundation (project funder). I give my permission for my anonymous data, which does not identify me, to be disseminated in this way.
6. I agree to take part in the above study.