Research Study on the

"Personal & Social Resources Inventory"

What is the Personal & Social Resources Inventory ?

The Personal & Social Resources Inventory is a short survey of 23 questions asking how different parts of your life are going. Your responses create a snapshot of (a) your current resources, (b) your relationships with others, (c) your identity, as well as (d) your beliefs and views of others. A copy of the tool starts on the next page.

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have been leading the work to create the Personal & Social Resources Inventory, and staff from the Evolve program have been helping. Life After Hate, an organization based in the U.S., as well as Yorktown Family Services, which is based in Toronto, have also been helping.

How the Personal & Social Resources Inventory is used in the Evolve Program

The Evolve program has chosen to use the Personal & Social Resources Inventory to help set goals and track the progress of participants in the program. Tracking progress is important for the staff in the Evolve program: it ensures our work with you is heading in the right direction. However, the Personal & Social Resources Inventory is in its first version, and research is needed to ensure it correctly measures people’s progress.

Research on the Personal & Social Resources Inventory

The Personal & Social Resources Inventory is in its first version, and the University of Illinois at Chicago is conducting a study to determine if it correctly measures people’s progress. To do this, they are asking participants in the Evolve program, to complete the tool at 3 different times.  If you would like to take part in this study to improve the Personal & Social Resources Inventory, please select the option “I agree to participate in this study” on the survey.

The study requires you to complete the Personal & Social Resources Inventory at 3 different times: once to begin, a second time after 2 weeks, and a third time after 3 months. It would take about 10 minutes each time. You can complete the tool either online or on paper, as you prefer.

Your responses on the Personal & Social Resources Inventory will be recorded confidentially, as you will enter a unique identification code each time you complete the Personal & Social Resources Inventory. Nowhere on the Personal & Social Resources Inventory would put your name or any other identifying information.

If you choose to complete the paper version of the Personal & Social Resources Inventory, we will provide an envelope to place the tool and seal after you are done. These envelopes will be collected by designated researchers. Your Evolve caseworker will not have access to your responses unless you indicate they can.

Your responses will be entered into a digital database (e.g. Excel) identified only by your confidential identification code. Your responses will be compiled with the responses of other participants in the Evolve program, and forwarded to the researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago for research. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago will use all the anonymous responses they receive from different participants to determine if the tool accurately measures progress.

Risks and Benefits

We do not believe that participating in this study involves any risks to you. However, you may experience feelings of psychological discomfort when answering some questions in the Personal & Social Resources Inventory. Conversely, we do believe participating in this study has benefits: your participation will help programs like Evolve develop tools to track progress, which may help improve these programs and their services.   

Compensation

If you choose to participate in this study, the University of Illinois at Chicago will compensate you either:

  • $40 for completing the tool 3 times (the 1st time, a second time after 2 weeks, and a third time after 3 months);
  • $20 for completing the tool twice (the 1st time and a second time after 2 weeks), or
  • $10 for completing the tool once.

This compensation will take the form of Visa Prepaid Gift Card, either given to you directly or through email, according to your preference. This financial compensation will not affect any financial assistance that may be provided by the Evolve program.

Participation is Voluntary

Participating in this study is entirely up to you. You may choose to not take part in this study. Even if you choose to participate, you can stop at any time.

Whether you choose to participate or not will not affect any services you are currently receiving or may receive in the future from the Evolve program. We want to assure you that your decision to take part in this research, or to decline, will have no impact on the quality or availability of services provided to you.

If you have any questions about this study, please ask your caseworker.

Your Data

Your responses will remain confidential during each phase of this research, and will only be linked to the confidential identification code.

If you choose to complete the paper version of the Personal & Social Resources Inventory, the completed surveys will be kept in a locked file cabinet for two years, after which they will be shredded.

Your confidential responses will be combined with the confidential responses of other participants and analyzed as part of this research project. The aggregated data will be used to generate reports, which may be shared publicly in academic publications, presentations, and other public forums. It is important to note that any information released will be in a form that makes it impossible to identify you or any other participant. The results of this research will be available on the Evolve Program website (evolveprogram.ca) in approximately 1 year.

Your privacy and confidentiality will be maintained throughout the entire process.
The digital database of confidential responses collected during this research project will be retained indefinitely. By retaining this valuable dataset indefinitely, we aim to maximize the impact of the contributions made by you and other participants, driving forward scientific discovery and innovation while maintaining the highest standards of data security and participant privacy.

You have the right to withdraw your data from the study at any point during or after your participation. Your responses will be destroyed if you request us to do so, ensuring that your data is no longer part of the retained database. Your decision to withdraw your data will not impact any services you receive from the Evolve program. We are committed to ensuring that you do not face any negative consequences as a result of your choice to withdraw.

Consent to Participate

Please indicate on the survey whether or not you would like to participate in this study.