Hi! My name is Julie Spray and I am a researcher. I am doing a study to find out about what it’s been like for young people growing up during the Covid-19 pandemic. Children have helped to protect themselves and others throughout the pandemic. But adults in government and adults who want to help children might not understand what growing up in a pandemic is like. I want to hear from children about what you think about the pandemic and how it has affected your lives.

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You get to decide if you would like to take part in this study. I will go through these pages with you, and answer any questions you may have. You do not have to decide today whether or not you want to be in this study. You can talk to other people like family to help you decide. You can change your mind about being in the study at any time.

If you agree to be in this study, there is a special form for you to sign, called an assent form. Your parent or guardian will also need to say it is okay for you to be in the study.

Who can participate?

You can be in the study if you:

• Are aged 8-13
• Are currently living in Galway
• Are happy to participate in English

What will happen if I say yes?

If you agree to be in this study, this is what will happen.

You and your family can say if you would like me to come and visit you at your home or if you would like to meet me on Zoom. The visit will be from 1-2 hours, and you can end the visit at any time.

When I visit or meet you online, I will ask you some questions about your life and experience since the beginning of the pandemic. Then, I will help you to make a comic story of your experience. You might like to draw the whole comic yourself, or you may choose to tell me what to draw, or we can draw together. You can decide!

Your parent or any family members are welcome to be in the room to support you. I want you to feel happy and comfortable, so you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. If you don’t want to answer any question I ask, you can say ‘pass’ or ‘skip’ or just not answer! I will also bring snacks because drawing can make us hungry.

If it’s okay with you, I will audio record our talking and take photos of the comic you make. When we’re done, you can choose if you would like to keep the drawings we make.

At the end of the study, I will put all of the comics children make in an online gallery. I might include your comic and story in presentations and articles.

Will you keep what I say private?

You can choose a secret name that I will use for all your information. I might write about you and the things you tell me, but I will always use the secret name you chose and never your real name. I won’t tell anyone else anything you’ve said to me, unless I am concerned for your safety, and then I would always discuss my concerns with you first.

What if I change my mind?

If you decide you don’t want to be in the study anymore, that’s okay! You can tell your parent/guardian or me and we will stop the visit.

What should I do now?

Please talk to your parent/guardian about whether you would like to take part in the study. You don’t have to decide right away, but if it sounds interesting to you then I can come and meet you at your house to tell you a little more about what we might do and answer any questions you have.

If you have any questions or wish to know more, you can contact me:

Dr. Julie Spray
Lecturer in Children’s Studies

University of Galway

Email: Julie.spray@universityofgalway.ie