Ben Franklin Transatlantic Fellows Initiative

Summer Institute for Youth, 2006

Benjamin Franklin Survey Initiative

Each Benjamin Franklin Fellow is to identify ten (more is you like) friends, community members, local opinion leaders, who would be willing to participate in an on-line survey during the institute. These should not include family members. We understand that this will not be possible for everyone to do this given local constraints, but do your best.

The individuals you identify will respond to a survey designed by yourselves, the Franklin Fellows. Participants will receive an e-mail indicating when and where to fill out the survey.

When you have the e-mail addresses please check to make sure they are correct and forward them to Louden@wfu.edu in an e-mail or bring them with you to the Institute. We do not need names, just e-mail contact.

Initially it may be appear difficult to think of who you can ask. In addition to friends, you may find that your teachers, local officials, club members, and others would enjoy participating. Give this some thought and we’re confident you will find volunteers.

Below is a statement for you to share with volunteers you ask to participate. It outlines the purpose, expectations, and safeguards for those participating  

To On-line Survey Participant

  • You will be asked to respond to a short on-line survey asking your opinion on contemporary transatlantic issues. You will receive an e-mail providing the link to the survey page. Completion of the survey should only take a few minutes. Minimal demographic data will be asked (e.g., gender, region) but no information will be asked that can be traced to an individual.
  • The purpose of is to explore how questions are developed, how attitudes are measured, and to stimulate discussion of how Americans’ views of Europeans and Eurasians and on Europeans’ and Eurasians’ views of the United States in specific content categories (for example, EU integration, environment issues).
  • The data is not a scientific sample, and is not intended to reflect attitudes of a given region. The questions will be developed by student Institute participants under the direction of University faculty trained in designing survey instruments.
  • Privacy: The survey responses will be encrypted and protection of individual identification will be assured. The data will be stored as an encrypted data file. No paper data will be printed and stored. Data will be destroyed following the institute. A statement of confidentiality and purpose will appear on the survey web page.
  • This project has been reviewed and approved by Wake Forest’s Internal Review Board (IRB) that governs ethical standards for research projects. .