Ethica to Support Behavioural Data Collection During COVID-19 Outbreak

You are invited to participate in a University of Saskatchewan research project using a smartphone app to understand views and behaviours related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Goals of the Research

  • We would like to hear your thoughts on the COVID-19 pandemic, the public health response, and COVID vaccines.
  • The study aims to understand the public’s risk perception and personal protective practice behaviours related to the pandemic, especially how these are evolving over time in relation to changes in the pandemic, public health orders, and vaccinations. 
  • This information is essential for managing COVID-19 going forward and will inform future public health strategies in Saskatchewan.

The study will help guide:

  • Public health messaging and risk communication
  • Outbreak control strategies
  • Predictive models

Participation

Ethica Log in screen
  • As a participant in this study, you would be asked to respond to questions using your smartphone loaded with an app developed at the University of Saskatchewan called Ethica.
  • Participating in the study would involve completing one short 5-minute survey per day for the first five days, followed by about four short 5-minute surveys per week for the remainder of the study (about four months). In total, the time commitment will be no more than about 15 to 25 minutes per week.
  • Participants will have the option to allow the app to collect GPS information during the study. These data will help understand movement patterns of the population. Location information will only be analyzed and published in aggregate form to remove the chance of identifying persons. At any time, participants can suspend data collection by simply clicking on the pause button. If participants choose to opt-out of GPS data collection, they will be given an alternative option to instead provide the first three digits of their postal code.
  • Your identity will remain strictly confidential. It will be heavily encrypted (computer coding), and all the information captured for the research will be aggregated before any public reporting. Access to data is restricted to the researchers responsible for the study.
  • The study is planned for four months. Your participation is completely voluntary, and you may withdraw at any point in the study.
Your participation will provide important information to help understand the context behind the decisions that people make during the evolving COVID-19 outbreak.

Join the Study

If you are interested in participating in the study, please click on the following link or scan the QR Code below. The link will take you to the Ethica app, where you can begin the study.

QR code linking to study