The PALS is a questionnaire developed to better understand what life is
like for people in the United States. The study is being conducted by
researchers at the University of Notre Dame and funded through a grant
from the Lilly Endowment, Inc. Interviewers from Research Triangle
Institute, based in North Carolina, will be administering the survey.
The purpose of this study is to provide researchers with a national survey
that covers a variety of areas of social life.
There are several reasons why it is important for you to participate in this
survey. Perhaps most importantly, this survey will be used to find ways
to improve education, health, and the quality of friendships and family
ties. The survey will also be used to understand Americans’ views on
important current issues.
As part of the study, a professional interviewer will ask about social
activities, views on religion, race and ethnicity, and relationships.
The interviewer will also ask some general questions about health. At
the end of the interview, the interviewer will leave behind a hardcopy
questionnaire for the respondent to complete on their own. This
hardcopy questionnaire will contain questions about views on
educational issues and involvement in organizations and groups.
If the respondent has a spouse or partner, or children, we may also ask
them to complete a self-administered questionnaire as well. The hard
copy questionnaire that will be left behind for the spouse or partner
to complete will ask questions about social activities, friends, and
views of religion and politics.
The teen questionnaire will ask questions about the issues affecting the
lives of young people in America. All children between the ages of 13
and 17 may be eligible for this teen questionnaire. Teens will only be
contacted if permission is given. All of these questionnaires are
completely voluntary.
There are no physical risks or benefits to the respondent from participating
in this survey. It is possible, however, that some questions might make
a respondent uncomfortable or upset. The participation of the
respondent in the study is completely voluntary. He/She has the right
to refuse to answer any questions or to stop at any time without
completing the entire interview. All information collected will be kept
strictly confidential. Released data will not identify any individual.
The confidentiality of the information you provide will be protected to
the fullest extent of the law. The information collected will only be
used for research and analysis and will not be used for any other
purpose. Identifying information (such as name and address) of
participants will be securely stored by Notre Dame, RTI and the
researchers conducting the teen survey only for as long as it is needed
for this study.
RTI may contact the respondent by phone after completing the interview to ask a
few brief questions about the work and conduct of the interviewer that
visited a home. We also plan to contact the respondent through mailings
twice a year and interview every few years. If a respondent is
contacted in the future, the respondent will be able to make a decision
about participating at that time.
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