Research Contract

Hello everyone!

Since the last class I have finished all of my application materials for the IRB and turned them in to a couple professors who are helping me through the process. As I am waiting for there responses (there are a couple areas I did not know how to fill out) I have been conducting interview question and reviewing material. Doing the IRB research training and application has helped me tremendously even though it wasn’t in the plan. I have learned a considerable amount about doing ethical research including the history and principles, defining research with human subjects, assessing risk, and informed consent. Prior to this project I didn’t know anything about the process of getting approved to do research and I want to be a researcher (Professor). So even though I want to complain about it I can’t.

I had some in depth conversations with my project mentors and I was given some really good insight. One of my professors even agreed to be interviewed when the time comes. It felt really good to get so much good feedback on my project and ideas. After these deliberations I decided that I would not try to contact actual families that were displaced because I feel that it will take too long and add extra “risks” and “permissions” to my IRB application. However, I think I can get the same effect from business owners, and stakeholders, I am really looking forward to interviewing professors and hearing their expertise on the matter. I drafted some alternative ideas for completing my project if I can’t get the interviews done as I would like to, although I think I will be able to make this happen.  I also changed some of the wording in my proposal to give a more complete idea of what my project will look like.

I really need to start doing the “busy” work of this project which is putting my materials into the format that it will appear on my website.  My OCD is also kicking in when it comes to my research plan because everything is sort of up in the air due to the IRB process. I feel like I’m behind on the whole process but I will be working really hard over the next couple of days to get everything in place.I was really contemplating changing the dates on my research plan even though Dr. Welch advised against it just because I know I can’t keep up with the dates. I am definitely feeling the repercussions of not having a partner right about now.

I have inserted my project contract below.

Project Title:
The Springfield Railroad Improvements Project: Community Voices

Mission/Goal of Project:
The Springfield Railroad Improvements Project is a $314 million-dollar railroad consolidation project in the city of Springfield, Illinois. Construction began September 2014, and it is expected to be completed in the year 2020. The sponsors include The City of Springfield, Sangamon County, and IDOT (Illinois Department of Transportation). City of Springfield has hired Hanson Professional Services to design and manage the project. Hanson reports that the reason for this rail consolidation is two-fold: to promote public safety and to reduce vehicular travel times and congestion. This project requires 42 acres of land to be completed in accordance with the approved design, which will require land acquisition of 117 residential displacements, and 50 commercial displacements. My research will explore the land acquisition process and its effects on the African American community. I will explore, analyze, and present aspects of the displacement process from the perspectives of SRIP sponsors as well as several key stakeholders involved. To gain full perspective of the Springfield Rail Improvements Project and its impact on the community, I will be doing interviews with 3 – 6 professors from UIS who can share their expertise on the topic. I will also be conducting interviews with 5 –10 stakeholders who are involved or have been impacted by the Springfield Rail Improvements Project. The main objective of this website is not only to provide a resource for conflict resolution, but also to give the parties involved a voice.

Relevance:
As we continue to progress as a society, urban improvements are inevitable – whether the purpose is public safety, urban vitality, or simply basic land development, there will always be an impact on the community. It is important to explore the SRIP as a conflict because it involves major reconstruction and land acquisition which significantly adds to the city of Springfield’s unique story. Although the SRIP will make an environmental, social, and economic impact, I will focus on the impact it will make on the African American community – particularly displacement. I expect to report the current strategies used by Hanson Professional Services to prevent and resolve conflict, as well as opinions and feedback from the public. With the development of this project website I hope to provide a resource for those who may be interested in civic welfare, peaceful land development, urban planning, stakeholder negotiation, and conflict resolution. Although this website can be used by a broad audience as a resource for conflict resolution, it will be most relevant to a local audience. This project will focus on community conflict that affects minority groups, and will highlight conflict resolution that promotes diversity and equality.

 My website will contain the following tabs/pages/information: My project is a contemporary issue, so the majority of its information will not be historical. For this reason, my website will be very informative, explanatory, and almost journalistic. I will include videos/interviews from Hanson Professional Services, historians/academics, and key stakeholders. I will also include photographs of areas and or people that have been affected by the Springfield Rail Improvements Project.

Technical details: Considering the fact that the SRIP is a complex project that covers a vast area, and will be completed in phases, I would like for my website to be very user friendly and easy to navigate. My objective is to create a layout that will allow users who know nothing about the project to become fluent and informed about the topic. I would like to minimize the amount of overwhelming text, and try to break the information up into digestible paragraphs.

Tools/Programs
Interactive Maps: The SRIP is hard to conceptualize without a map. For this reason, I would like to include an interactive map so that my audience will be able to visually compare existing conditions versus the future design in real time by just hovering over the different areas. I will also design a map that presents city demographics as well as displacement/land acquisition. This will help the audience visualize how the land acquisition will impact the African American community.

Timeline: My inclusive timeline will include major events related to the project and its impact on the African American community. This will help the audience understand both the development and the outcomes of the project in a linear fashion.

MetaSlider: I will use MetaSlider to embed a slideshow of photos with relevant photos.
YouTube: I will use YouTube as a tool to easily embed videos of interviews on my website.
Search Feature: I will include a search box so that users can quickly locate specific information.