Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why am I being asked to take part in this research study? 

You are being asked to complete this survey because you are a resident of Baltimore City and you are at least 18 years of age.

How many people will be in this study?

We expect about 500 people will be in this research study.

Will being in this study help me in any way?

There are no direct benefits to participants in this study. However, possible benefits of your participation include informing the Baltimore City Police Department and policymakers about your perceptions of crime, safety, policing and the Aerial Investigation Research Pilot Program.

Is there any way completing this survey could be bad for me?

There is a minimal risk to you for loss of confidentiality and privacy. Every effort will be made to protect your privacy as described below.

What happens if I do not want to participate in this survey?

Participation in this research is voluntary. You can decide to participate or not to participate. You can stop at any point. Your decision will not impact any services or benefits you receive.

How will researchers protect my information?

We will protect your information by: 1) not asking your name; 2) not storing your address with your survey response; 3) storing your survey response on secure servers that are password protected; 4) limiting access to survey responses to members of the research team; and 5) reporting the survey results in aggregate.

Who will have access to the information collected in this survey?

We will limit the use and disclosure of your survey responses and information to members of the research team and our survey software vendors. Individual responses will not be shared with the Baltimore City Police Department or any other organization outside of the Schaefer Center.

How might the information collected in this study be shared in the future?

We will keep the information we collect about you during this research study for study record keeping. Information that can directly identify you will be stored securely and separately from the rest of the survey data we collect from you. 

De-identified (anonymous) data from this study may be shared with the research community, with journals in which study results are published, and with databases and data repositories used for research. We will remove or code any personal information that could directly identify you before the study data are shared. The Schaefer Center takes seriously all issues of data confidentiality and anonymity as discussed above.