TAKE PART IN A STUDY ON e-READING
Donate your Amazon Kindle data and receive 5 pounds for your time!
The study is non-commercial and not affiliated with or endorsed by Amazon
Do you read on Amazon Kindle devices or applications?
How does it work?
Sign up for the study
You will be sent information on the study, what it involves, how to take part, and a personalised link to participate.
Request your user data from Amazon UK
Request your Amazon UK data on your Kindle activity by following the Amazon data request instructions.
Donate one data file for science
You will be asked to donate a file that contains information on your Kindle reading sessions. The file is fully anonymous, and doesn't contain any personal or sensitive data.
Answer to three questionnaires
The questionnaires will ask you about your reading habits, and about your thoughts on some of the books mentioned in your Kindle reading session data.
You will be paid £5 at the end of the study as compensation for your time!*
* payment via PayPal or as an Amazon voucher
Take part in the study and help us promote reading for fun!
You are eligible to take part in the study if
- you are over the age of 18
- you are currently in the UK and you have an account for Amazon UK
- you use or have used Amazon Kindle devices or applications for reading
Why is the study being conducted?
Reading is important
Fiction reading is related to academic achievement, high reading ability and financial success
44%
44% of adults don't read for fun
The most common reasons for not reading more are lack of time and difficulty focusing on the text
Reading behaviour is changing
Electronic reading is now common, but we know little about how reading on these devices influences our reading behaviour
We need to support reading
In order to promote reading, we need to know how adults fit reading for fun in their daily lives
The results will be analysed and published. The findings can be applied to promote reading!
More information on the study
This study was certified according to the Informatics Research Ethics Process, RT number 2019/81073. Please read the following information carefully.
The study includes:
- Signing up for the study information emails
- Accessing a study data donation portal, and answering to three questionnaires on separate occasions (two at any point during the study, and one after donating a data file)
- Requesting your Amazon Kindle user data from Amazon UK
- Donating one anonymous file from the user data for research
Please note that this study is non-commercial and not affiliated with or endorsed by Amazon.
Who are the researchers?
The study is conducted by Pauliina Vuorinen, a PhD student in the School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh. The study is supervised by Prof Frank Keller and Prof Ben Tatler. In addition to the researcher and the supervisors, the data will be accessible for the website developer, Mikko Vuorinen.
What is the purpose of the study?
The purpose of the study is to collect information on your reading sessions to enhance our understanding of recreational reading behaviour. Our aim is to assess if motivation and electronic reading experience influence this behaviour.
Why have I been asked to take part?
We aim to recruit adults over the age of 18 to take part in the study. To be eligible to particate, you should use or have used Amazon Kindle devices (such as Kindle Paperwhite or Kindle Fire) or Amazon Kindle applications (such as Kindle on Android or Kindle for iPhone/iPad) for reading. You should also be currently located in the UK, and you should have access to an Amazon UK account linked to a Kindle device or a Kindle application.
Do I have to take part?
No – participation in this study is entirely up to you. You can withdraw from the study at any time, without giving a reason. Your rights will not be affected, and you will receive at least partial compensation, depending on the time invested. If you wish to withdraw, you can click the option 'withdraw' in the data donation portal (accessed via a link sent to your email) or contact the researcher or the PI for assistance.
We will stop using your data in any publications or presentations after you have withdrawn consent. However, we will keep copies of your original consent, and of your withdrawal request.
What will happen if I decide to take part?
The study is conducted online, and it involves answering to questionnaires, requesting your Amazon Kindle user data from Amazon UK, and donating one anonymous data file for research purposes. You will be compensated with 5 pounds for taking part, and the study should take approximately 45 minutes to complete (over multiple days).
First, you will be asked to sign up for the study by entering your email address on the study landing page. You will be sent an automatic email that has information on the study, instructions on how you can request your Amazon UK Kindle user data from an Amazon website, and a personalised link to access the study data donation portal.
After signing up for the study, you will be asked to request your Amazon Kindle user data. The data request takes approximately 2-10 days to process. You will receive an email from Amazon UK when the data request has been finalised.
Once you have received the data request, access the study data donation portal by clicking on the link in the initial information email. In the portal, you will be asked to fill in two questionnaires about your reading habits and preferences.
After responding to the questionnaires, you will be asked to donate one of the files included in your Amazon user data. The data file, called Kindle.Devices.ReadingSession.zip, includes information on the timings and durations of your reading sessions on Amazon Kindle devices or applications. The file also includes detail on which devices you have used, which books you have read, and how many times you turned a page during a reading session. The file is fully anonymous and does not include any sensitive data. We will only ask you to upload this data file to the study data donation portal, and the system will automatically check that the correct file is uploaded.
After uploading the data, you will be asked to respond to a final questionnaire on the books mentioned in your donated data file. In the questionnaire, you will be shown the covers, titles, and authors of the books mentioned in the data file. You will be asked to report whether you have read each book, and if so, whether you enjoyed it, and what was your primary reason for reading it.
After responding to the questionnaires and uploading the data file, you will be asked to input your email address so that the researcher can contact you about the payment of 5 pounds. This sum is paid in compensation for your time. You will also receive an email with additional information on the study.
Compensation.
You will be paid £5 for your participation in this study. Payment can be received via PayPal or as an Amazon voucher.
Are there any risks associated with taking part?
There are no significant risks associated with participation.
What will happen to the results of this study?
The results of this study may be summarised in published articles, reports, and presentations. Quotes or key findings will be anonymized: We will remove any information that could, in our assessment, allow anyone to identify you. With your consent, information can also be used by others for future research and learning. Your data may be archived for a minimum of 2 years.
Data protection and confidentiality.
Your data will be processed in accordance with Data Protection Law. All information collected about you will be kept strictly anonymous. Your data will be referred to by a unique participant number rather than by name. Your data will only be viewed by the researcher, supervisors, and the website developer. The data is stored and collected anonymously.
All data will be stored in secure databases and on a password-protected computer.
What are my data protection rights?
The University of Edinburgh is a Data Controller for the information you provide. You have the right to access information held about you. Your right of access can be exercised in accordance to Data Protection Law. You also have other rights including rights of correction, erasure, and objection. For more details, including the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office, please visit www.ico.org.uk. Questions, comments, and requests about your personal data can also be sent to the University Data Protection Officer at dpo@ed.ac.uk.
Who can I contact?
If you have any further questions about the study, please contact the lead researcher, Pauliina Vuorinen at p.t.e.vuorinen@sms.ed.ac.uk or the PI Frank Keller at keller@inf.ed.ac.uk
If you wish to make a complaint about the study, please contact inf-ethics@inf.ed.ac.uk. When you contact us, please provide the study title, and detail the nature of your complaint.
Updated information.
If the research project changes in any way, an updated Participant Information Sheet will be made available on web.inf.ed.ac.uk/infweb/research/study-updates.
Alternative formats.
To request this document in an alternative format, such as large print or on coloured paper, please contact Pauliina Vuorinen at p.t.e.vuorinen@sms.ed.ac.uk
General information.
For general information about how we use your data, go to: edin.ac/privacy-research