You are invited to complete an anonymous digital survey as part of a study led by Murray Humphries at McGill University.
McGill Research Ethics Board file number: 25-09-028
Principal Investigator: Murray Humphries, Professor, McGill University | 514-794-7885 | murray.humphries@mcgill.ca
Researchers: Kirsten Bowser kirsten.bowser@mcgill.ca, Allyson Menzies allyson.menzies@ucalgary.ca, Jiaao Guo jiaao.guo1@ucalgary.ca, Shelby Bohn shelby.bohn@ucalgary.ca
Title of Project: Where and What is Northern Canada
Sponsor: This project is funded by Braiding Knowledges Canada
Purpose of the Study: Northern Canada is a place that is recognized to be geographically, biologically, and culturally distinct from southern Canada. But precisely locating North in Canada is challenging due to the many conditions and thresholds that can be used to define North. In this project, we consider ‘Where is North?’ in Canada through 1) GIS-based mapping and analysis of eighteen geographic, biological, and cultural indicators of northness and 2) this anonymous survey focused on where people know North to be, what factors they consider to be important in defining North, and how this relates to where they are from and where they have been. This research is intended to advance knowledge regarding the geographies of place, participatory GIS, geobiocultural approaches, and understanding of North and Nordicity in Canada. We hope the findings of the research will be of interest to scholars in geography, environmental studies, cultural studies, and northern and arctic research. The results may also inform northern policy and organizations engaged in northern development, governance, and cultural representation.
The results of this research will be disseminated primarily through academic channels. These include presentations at academic conferences and submissions to peer-reviewed journals in geography and/or northern studies. To make the findings more broadly accessible, results will also be shared through a story map and dashboard-style website where visitors can explore the aggregated northness score, the 18 geobiocultural indicators contributing to the aggregate, and the participatory mapping survey described here.
What You Will be Asked to Do: Answer some questions through an anonymous digital survey about where you consider North to be, what factors you consider to be important in defining North, and about where you are from and where you have been. The survey results will be recorded in a spreadsheet. You will not provide any self-identifying data or personal information. Summarized data will be incorporated into a public online document or website and within an academic manuscript. We do not see any physical, social or economic risks or discomfort from your participation in the research.
Voluntary Participation: Participation in this study is voluntary.
Confidentiality: No sensitive information will be recorded, published or disseminated. The data will not be used for any purpose other than the one outlined here.
Consent: Proceeding to complete this survey indicates that you consent to participate in this study. There are no anticipated risks to you by participating in this research. The survey is anonymous, withdrawal is not possible once responses are submitted, and incomplete surveys will be discarded.
For your records: We recommend you take a screenshot or photograph of this consent page and any other survey pages of interest, as this information will not be available after you submit the survey.
If you have any ethical concerns or complaints about your participation in this study, and want to speak with someone not on the research team, please contact:
Deanna Collin
Research Ethics Officer/ Conseiller en éthique de recherche
(514) 398-6193 or deanna.collin@mcgill.ca
citing REB file number 25-09-028.