Maganda Voice Participant Sign Up
What is the research about?
You are invited to participate in the Maganda Voice project because you are connected to the Maganda Makers Business Club. This will involve your commitment to participate in audio recorded yarns, workshops and sharing photographs that you take on your own time. This information will help Maganda Makers to design more effective Indigenous women’s business programs, projects, and strategies. It is important to note that while this project may help those who wish to provide more funding and support for Kimberley Indigenous women’s business, no actual changes or investment can be guaranteed.
Photovoice is a participatory photographic research method. It involves the participants taking photographs that represent their perspectives and lived experiences. These pictures are then shared with other project participants and discussed to connect themes. Narratives or stories explaining the significance of the pictures can be attached to the photographs. Unless you prefer to be anonymous, your name and business name will be shared when the results are shared with broader audiences.
Who is involved in the project?
This research project is being conducted by Professor Robyn Eversole (Chief Investigator) and Cindy Mitchell (Student Investigator) at Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Social Impact, Faculty of Business and Law. Natasha Short (Kimberley Birds) and Maree Cutler Naroba (Good Return). There are also Maganda Voice Facilitators (Story Weavers) who are working closely with the Student Investigator.
What will I be asked to do?
Participation will require you to meet up two times with the Student Investigator and a member of the Maganda Makers Club Team at a time or place convenient to you, by phone, online or face to face. The first meeting will be to explain the steps of the project. There will be a several weeks gap between the two meetings in which you will be expected to capture photographs of your perspectives and/or experiences. The second meeting will run for approximately 60 minutes and involve sharing the photographs and audio-taped group or individual discussions about the meaning and themes identified in the photos.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
This project seeks to make a significant contribution to understanding successful Indigenous women’s leadership and business development. Successful businesses mean greater economic independence for Indigenous peoples and communities and a pathway to reducing economic exclusion many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people currently experience. A risk in this research is that discussing these experiences and your business journey may cause distress. A secondary risk in this research is a fear of others’ negative perceptions relating to your business or your journey.
Your agreement to participate demonstrates your acknowledgement of this risk. The researcher(s) will be conducting the following range of process-driven checks during and after the meetings, including following up with the participants, and if necessary, suggesting options for following up support. If you become upset or distressed due to your participation in the research project, the research team will arrange for counselling or other appropriate support by directing participants to Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Qualified staff who are not members of the research team will provide any counselling or support. This counselling will be provided free of charge by phoning Lifeline on 131 114 or Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636.
What will happen to information about me?
With your permission, the researchers would like to attribute your remarks to you in published reports and any research outputs like journal articles, books, and conference presentations. However, if you prefer anonymity, we will remove your name from the research output rather than list you as a participant in the research. Your name and contact details will be kept in a separate, password-protected computer file from any data you supply. Should you request anonymity, you will be referred to by another name, and references to personal information will be removed in the final report. If you require complete anonymity, please advise the Student Investigator, who will note this on the consent form.
Once the report and academic writings arising from this research have been completed, a five-page executive summary of the findings will be available to you. You are encouraged to indicate if you would like to receive a copy of the executive summary. The data related to this project will be kept securely at the Swinburne University of Technology for five years from the date of publication.
Do I have to take part?
Your participation in this project is voluntary. Should you wish to withdraw at any stage or withdraw any information you have supplied, you are free to do so. If this occurs, you are free to choose between destroying your contributions to the project or releasing them for use without your participation
Where can I get further information?
If you would like more information on this project, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the Chief Investigator, Professor Robyn Eversole, Director, RegionxLink, Centre for Social Impact, Faculty of Business, Law and Entrepreneurship, Swinburne University of Technology via email at reversole@swin.edu.au or (03) 9214 5379, Student Investigator, Cindy Mitchell, Centre for Social Impact, Faculty of Business, Law and Entrepreneurship at Swinburne University of Technology via email at cindymitchell@swin.edu.au or 0421 192 343.
You can also contact the Associate Investigator Natasha Short, Managing Director, Kimberley Birds, on admin@kimberleybirds.com.au or 0409 156 756.
Who else can I contact if I have any concerns about the project?
This research project has been approved by Swinburne’s Human Research Ethics Committee. If you have any concerns about the conduct of this research project, which you do not wish to discuss with the research team, you could contact the Research Ethics Officer, Swinburne Research (H68), Swinburne University of Technology, PO Box 218, HAWTHORN VIC 3122. Tel (03) 9214 3845 or resethics@swin.edu.au. In any correspondence, please provide the name of the research team or the ethics ID number of the research project: 20215588-6104.
"The one thing that you have that nobody else has is you. Your voice, your mind, your story, your vision. So write and draw and build and play and dance and live as only you can".