<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div dir="auto" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div style="margin: 0in; line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN">Dear Sir or Madam,<o:p></o:p></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN"> </span></p><div style="margin: 0in; line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN">I hope this email finds you well. I am a PhD candidate in the Teaching and Curriculum Department at the Warner </span><span lang="EN">Graduate School of Education and Human Development</span><span lang="EN">. </span><span lang="EN">I am conducting my dissertation study under the direction of Dr. Mary Jane Curry. <o:p></o:p></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN"> </span></p><div style="margin: 0in; line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN">I am seeking the participation of scholars who come from Greater China or have experience </span>conducting research in that <span lang="EN">area, despite of their nationality and current location. </span><span lang="EN">The purpose of this dissertation study is to explore scholars’ choices of topics, methodologies, and theories in their academic research and publishing, as well as the constraints they have encountered, such as the neoliberal context of publishing and limited academic freedom in addressing certain topics due to various sociopolitical factors.</span><span lang="EN"> The information you provide may contribute to a better understanding of the complex experiences of scholars working in Greater China, especially what they want to publish about and can publish about, and provide benefits and support to scholars’ professional development and policymakers. </span>Your participation in this study is completely voluntary and you may withdraw at any time without penalty. Any information that could identify you will not be included in my writings and presentations about the study, including your name, the name of your institution, and your academic discipline and research area.</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN"> </span></p><div style="margin: 0in; line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN">Your participation would involve taking part in a survey, which includes 13 multiple-choice or yes/no questions asking about your personal information, including educational and professional background, and nine open-ended questions related to your publishing practices and experiences. It should take approximately 25 minutes to complete this survey. Here are three versions of the survey:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN"><br></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; line-height: normal;"><b><i><span lang="EN">English version: <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div><div style="margin: 0in; line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN"><a href="https://universityrochester.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9NAqtS2R2O0siBo" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);"><i>https://universityrochester.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9NAqtS2R2O0siBo</i></a></span><i><span lang="EN"> <o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div style="margin: 0in; line-height: normal;"><b><i><span lang="EN">Chinese (simplified) version:</span></i></b><i><span lang="EN"> </span></i></div><div style="margin: 0in; line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN"><a href="https://universityrochester.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0uEBJRBTwqUlbRs" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);"><i>https://universityrochester.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0uEBJRBTwqUlbRs</i></a></span><i><span lang="EN"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div style="margin: 0in; line-height: normal;"><b><i><span lang="EN">Chinese (traditional) version:</span></i></b><i><span lang="EN"> </span></i></div><div style="margin: 0in; line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN"><a href="https://universityrochester.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4INkl45xaUTB2AK" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);"><i>https://universityrochester.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4INkl45xaUTB2AK</i></a></span><i><span lang="EN"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div style="margin: 0in; line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN"><br></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN">At the end of the survey, you will be invited to give your name and email address if you would be willing to participate in the second phase of the study, which involves two individual interviews and the collection of some texts and documents. <o:p></o:p></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN"> </span></p><div style="margin: 0in; line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN">All information that you share in the survey will be kept confidential. You will be given a pseudonym, and no identifying information, as discussed above, will be shared in publications and presentations. Only the co-investigator, Dr. Curry, and I will have access to the data set. <o:p></o:p></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN"> </span></p><div style="margin: 0in; line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN">For more information, please contact me, Xiatinghan Xu, at 001 <u><span style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);">(424) 355-1275 </span></u>or email </span><span lang="EN"><a href="mailto:fhe2@u.rochester.edu" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);"><span style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);">xxu36@u.rochester.edu</span></a></span><u><span lang="EN" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);">.</span></u><span lang="EN"> </span><span lang="EN">If you have questions or concerns about your rights as a participant in this study, you may contact Human Subjects Institutional Review Board specialist, through the Warner School of Education, University of Rochester, 001 <u><span style="color: rgb(68, 114, 196);">(585) 275-3050</span></u>.</span><span lang="EN"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN"><br></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN">Thank you so much!</span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN"> </span></p><div style="margin: 0in; line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN">Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN">Xiatinghan Xu <o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN">Teaching and Curriculum PhD Candidate<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN">Warner School of Education, University of Rochester</span></div></div></body></html>