ME/CFS Early Career Investigator Survey

[Andy]

Welcome to the ME/CFS Early Career Investigator Survey!

The purpose of this survey is to learn about junior researchers' perceived knowledge gaps, training and professional development needs, and helpful resources that may be important in supporting their research on ME/CFS (myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome) and related conditions.

The results of the survey will be used to identify and prioritize training opportunities and other professional development support mechanisms that could be offered by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the Thinking the Future initiative for junior ME/CFS researchers, and other ME/CFS-related efforts.

Your honest feedback is important, and your voice is valued. Your participation is completely voluntary. This survey should pose very low risk to you other than the possibility of distress caused by recalling potentially stressful characteristics of your career and professional development. You may choose to not answer any questions that distress you. Your participation in the survey may assist in the development of resources that could directly benefit you and other junior researchers. Moreover, improving support for junior investigators may indirectly benefit individuals with ME/CFS by promoting continued advancement of our collective understanding of the illness.

This survey is being conducted by RTI International on behalf of the NIH-supported ME/CFS Collaborative Research Network.

https://redcap.rti.org/mecfs/surveys/?s=94JADKFCPC

 

[Wonko]

erm...what?

 

[alktipping]

why would completing a survey expose anyone to risk , just what are the authors implying.

 

[Esther12]

why would completing a survey expose anyone to risk , just what are the authors implying.

I've seen other research like this - trying to warn participants about any potential risk of the research can end up sounding a bit silly in some cases.

 

[Trish]

The bit about risk may be a standard thing ethics committees require researchers to assess and state for participants taking part in the research .even if the research only requires participants to fill in a questionnaire like this one.

 

[ScottTriGuy]

This survey should pose very low risk to you other than the possibility of distress caused by recalling potentially stressful characteristics of your career and professional development. You may choose to not answer any questions that distress you.

I took that to mean that the survey may trigger PTSD symptoms that are caused by traumatic experiences in their career / professional development. I think this would especially pertain to researchers that also have ME (or family member).

I suspect the same information about recall potentially causing distress, would also be used when asking ME patients to recall their experiences with the health care system. Most (all?) ME patients will have at least one distressing / traumatic event from physicians / health care. (Like Dr Klimas said, but I'm paraphrasing: 'They came to the doctor with ME. They left with PTSD.')