The document provides information about a research study examining the use of construction field management software to improve efficiency. The purpose is to understand the benefits and limitations of using BIM360 Field software through interviews and questionnaires of site-based managers with experience using the software. Participation is voluntary and will involve up to an hour for interviews and 15 minutes to complete an online questionnaire. All responses will be kept confidential and stored securely.

1. RPIS01 Page 1 of 4
StudyTitle:
Usingconstruction fieldmanagementsoftware to improve managementefficiency.
Researcher:
Leanna Fry
I wouldlike toinvite youto take part in a researchstudy.Before you decide youneedtounderstand
why the research is being done and what it would involve for you. Please take time to read the
followinginformationcarefully.Please askquestionsif anythingyoureadis not clearor if you would
like more information. Please take time to decide whether or not to take part.
What is the purpose of the study?
The purpose of the studyistodetermine whytherehasbeeninvestment,of bothtimeandmoney, by
companies of construction field management software. The study will critically discuss the existing
literature,andseektounderstandallitscapabilitiesandthereforewhetheritisworththe investment.
There will be afocusof the practicaluse of BIM360 Fieldsoftware,itsbenefitsandlimitationsasthere
is little literature already available.
Preliminary research has found that the in particular, in order to use mobile BIM successful the
industry needstomake changesto existingprocessesandto facilitate the uptake of these improved
processes using improve technologies.This research intends to find what processes can be better
improvedandhowusingthese software canassistthe industryto become more leanandefficient. It
is also intended to show how developments in cloud computing can compliment the use of mobile
technologies.
Why have I been invited?
The researcher has chosen to recruit site-based management who have an understanding of the
software andtherefore participantswhohaveexperienceand/orknowledge of how the softwarecan
and has been used.
Do I have to take part?
The decisionastowhetherornotto take part inthe studyis upto you.The followinginformationwill
explain the study and should give you all the information you require as a participant.
To follow you will be asked to sign a consent form (reference RPCF01) to show you agreed to take
part. You are free to withdraw at any time, without giving a reason.
What will happen to me if I take part?
 Interviewparticipantsshouldexpecttobe involvedinthe researchforuptoan houronce the
ethical consent form has been signed.
 Interviewsare semi-structured.Thismeansthatthere are some written,structuredquestions
however there may be additional questions asked to further expand on answers.
 The Interviewswill be carriedoutviathe telephone,forconvenience of boththe interviewee
and the researcher.
 Questionnaire participantsshouldexpecttobe involvedinthe researchforup to 15 minutes
once the ethical consent form has been signed.
School of the Built Environment
MSc Project Management in Construction
Dissertation
Research Participant Information Sheet

2. RPIS01 Page 2 of 4
 The questionnaireswill be carriedout via free surveywebsite,SurveyMonkey.A linkwill be
sent to the participant once the ethical consent form has been signed and returned.
 Please note that the completeddissertationisdue tobe handedin on/before 9th
September
2016.
Expenses and payments?
The questionnaire is to be completed via an online free website, Survey Monkey. In addition
completingthe questionnaireisvoluntary.Therefore itisnotexpectedthatthere shouldbe anyneed
for the participant to request payment and/or expenses.
The interviews are to be completed over the telephone; the call is to be made by the researcher. In
addition beinga participant is voluntary. Therefore it is not expectedthat there should be any need
for the participant to request payment and/or expenses.
It is noted however that a thank you card will be written to the interviewees by the researcher.
What will I have to do?
As a questionnaire participant, once the information sheet (RPIS01) has been read and the consent
form (RPCF01) has been signed and returnedto the researcher,the participant will be sent a link to
the questionnaire postedonSurveyMonkey.The researcherasks that the participantscompletethe
questionnaire within3weeksof havingthe linksenttothem.The researcherwill sendoutareminder
if the questionnaire has not been completed, after 2 weeks.
The questionnaire will be a mix of question types – including multiple choice questions and interval
scale questions.
As an interviewparticipant,once the informationsheet(RPIS01) hasbeenreadandthe consentform
(RPCF01) has been signed and returned to the researcher, the participant will be contacted about
arranging a convenienttime tocarry out the interview overthe phone. The researcherasks that the
participants are prepared to be interviewed within 3 weeks of having returned the consent form.
The interview is a semi-structuredinterview. This means that there will be questions prepared in
advance bythe researcher,howevertheremaybe furtherquestionsaskedtogive the intervieweean
opportunity to further expand on an answer given.
What are the possible disadvantages and risks of taking part?
It is notedthat thiswill take some of your time as a participant.Thisis expectedtobe up to an hour
for interview participants, and up to 15 minutes for questionnaire participants.
There is always the possibility of tampering from an outside source when using the internet for
collectinginformation.Whilethe confidentialityof yourresponseswill be protectedonce the dataare
downloadedfromthe internet,there isalwaysapossibilityof hackingorothersecuritybreachesthat
could threaten the confidentiality of your responses. Please know that you are free to decide not to
answer any question.
What are the possible benefits of taking part?
The researcher cannot promise the study will help you but the information obtained from the study
will help to increase the understanding of the use and benefits/limitations of construction field
management tools.
What if there is a problem?
If you have a complaint about the research study, your experience,and/or the researcher, please in
the first instance, contact the researcher whose contact details are noted below, who will try to
resolve the problem.
Name of researcher taking consent: Leanna Fry

3. RPIS01 Page 3 of 4
Researcher’s e-mail address: l.fry@edu.salford.ac.uk
Researcher’s telephone number: 07533 269138
If youhave any concernsabout thisresearchthat have notbeenaddressedbythe researcher,please
contact the researcher’s supervisor via the contact details below:
Supervisor’s name: Dr Simona Barresi
Supervisor’s email address: s.barresi@salford.ac.uk
If you still remain unhappy and wish to complain formally you can do this through sending a letter
setting out the details of your complaint to the researcher’s Head of School:
Professor Hisham Elkadi
School of the Built Environment
University of Salford
Salford
M5 4WT
Please note that there is no compensation arrangements if there was to be any reason that the
participant should come to any harm as a result of the research study.
Will my taking part in the study be kept confidential?
All information which is collected about you during the course of the research will be kept strictly
confidential, and any information about you which leaves the university will have your name and
address removed so that you cannot be recognised.
The researcher will ensure confidentialityis safeguardduring and after the study,to include correct
handling, processing, storage and destruction of the data to meet the requirements of the Data
Protection Act 1998.
Questionnaire participants;
 The data will be downloaded from Survey Monkey within 48 hours of completion of the
survey.
 The data will be stored safely via computer protected by a password known only by the
researcher.
 Participants will be identified in the researcher via a code.
 The codes and participants names will be detailed in a master list stored on a password
protected computer accessed only by the researcher.
 The onlyotherpersonstobe permittedaccesstothe masterlistwill be the lecturersmarking
the piece of work, all of whom work for the University of Salford.
 The data will be retained until the end of 2019 and then it will be disposed of securely.
 The data obtained will only be used for this study.
Interview participants;
 The responses to the interview will be stored safely via computer protected by a password
known only by the researcher.
 Participants will be identified in the researcher via a code.
 The codes and participants names will be detailed in a master list stored on a password
protected computer accessed only by the researcher.
 The only otherpersonstobe permittedaccesstothe masterlistwill be the lecturersmarking
the piece of work, all of whom work for the University of Salford.
 The data will be retained until the end of 2019 and then it will be disposed of securely.
 The data obtained will only be used for this study.

4. RPIS01 Page 4 of 4
What will happen if I don’t carry on with the study?
If you withdrawfromthe study the researcherwill destroyall youridentifiableinterviews,butwe will
need to use the data collected up to your withdrawal. Please note that due to the short timing
permitted for this research that any withdrawal must take place on/before 1st
July 2016.
What will happen to the results of the research study?
Participantswill notbe identifiedinanyreportor publication.The resultsof boththe interviewsand
questionnaires will form primarydata and be analysed for the dissertation report. It is not expected
that this dissertation will be published however if thisis to be the case, further ethical approval will
be obtained from the participants.Further to a written request, the dissertation will be available to
readfollowingthe completionandhandinof the work,howeveritisnotedthatallowingaccesstothe
report does not give rise to permitting plagiarism.
Who is organising or sponsoring the research?
The company sponsoring the researcher’s Masters studies is BAMConstruct UK.
Further information and contact details:
1. The literature review for this research includes a number of resources from;
a. Automation in Construction
b. Autodesk
2. Contact details of the researcher;
Name of researcher taking consent: Leanna Fry
Researcher’s e-mail address: l.fry@edu.salford.ac.uk
Researcher’s telephone number: 07533 269138
Thank youfor readingthisinformationsheet.
If you are willingtocontinue withbeingaparticipant,please completeandsignthe Research
ParticipantConsentForm(reference RPCF01) andsendtothe above email address.