Research

Study Background

In 2020, Leslie R. Anglesey and Ellen Cecil-Lemkin called upon rhetoric and composition scholars to learn more about quiet rooms and accessibility, and “to bear in mind that access, at the end of the day, is a community project that is ongoing and that requires firm commitments—in word and in action—to just professional practices” (p. 102). While quiet rooms have been theorized and written about as temporary spaces, such as at conferences, little scholarship has examined the potentials, impacts, and implications of permanent quiet rooms.

We now take up Anglesey and Cecil-Lemkin’s call to further our field’s understanding of these spaces by conducting this research project, which will examine how OSU community members interact with, spend time in, and respond to the GAMHAA/Denney Hall Quiet Room. Specifically, research questions motivating this study include:

  • According to participants, what is valuable about the Quiet Room as a permanent space?
  • How do participants feel before, during, and after using the Quiet Room?
  • How do participants interact with material objects in the space, including other people?
  • What language do participants use to describe the Quiet Room and their time in the space?
  • According to participants, what may/may not be unique to the Quiet Room as a campus space?

Findings from this study will be used to create guidelines for similar spaces, resources for educating scholars of rhetoric and composition on the use and purpose of the Quiet Room, and potential exigencies for similar permanent spaces at other institutions. This study is IRB-exempt.

How do I participate?

We are asking participants to complete a survey about your experiences with the Quiet Room. The survey contains demographic questions and multiple choice questions, as well as brief open-ended questions aimed at gaining knowledge about your experiences in the Quiet Room. This survey will take no more than 20 minutes of your time.

Are participants being offered compensation?

At the end of this survey, you can sign up for the raffle with a chance to win a $25 e-gift card. You can also opt into a possible follow-up interview via Zoom. If you are selected for a follow-up interview, you will be compensated with a $25 e-gift card after completion of the interview.

Ready to participate?

To consent to participate, as well as the complete the survey portion of this study, please use this Qualtrics form.

Questions and concerns?

For questions, concerns, or complaints about the study, or you feel you have been harmed as a result of study participation, you may contact Dr. Margaret Price at price.1225@osu.edu. For questions about your rights as a participant in this study or to discuss other study-related concerns or complaints with someone who is not part of the research team, you may contact Ms. Sandra Meadows in the Office of Responsible Research Practices at 1-800-678-6251 or hsconcerns@osu.edu.

IRB: 2021E0952