Foreign Language Expert Informed Consent

TRANSTAC

Foreign Language Expert Informed Consent

Spoken Language Communication and Translation System for Tactical Use (TRANSTAC)

Research Description: TRANSTAC is a program that intends to support the advancement of spoken language translation systems for field use. The evaluation goals for these systems include technical performance, e.g., concept transfer and through-put, as well as human assessments of whether these systems facilitate effective communication.

The researchers involved in the evaluation of these systems, also referred to as the Independent Evaluation Team (IET), are Craig Schlenoff, Micky Steves, Brian Weiss, Greg Sanders, and Ann Virts of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

You have been asked to participate in this project because you have foreign language expertise in the language selected for this evaluation period.

You will receive training from a research team representative regarding the functional capabilities of each system being tested. Additional time will be provided for hands-on demonstration of each system and one-on-one question/answer time with members of the research teams.

Over the course of several days you will participate in four to eight conversations, lasting approximately 10-15 minutes each, for each system tested. Each conversation is based on pre-defined scenarios. Prior to system testing, you will receive descriptions of your assigned scenarios, training on how to appropriately conduct these conversations using a translation system, and scenario review and practice time.

Prior to the start of system testing, you may be asked to provide demographics information about yourself.

During system testing, you may be asked to fill out a survey and participate in a semi-structured interview about your experience using the translation system after each scenario-based “conversation” in which you participate. This feedback is necessary to help the researchers improve their translation systems.

Members of the evaluation team will be present during all training and testing sessions. Additionally, audio and video taping during the scenario sessions may be employed to capture ground truth of scenarios conducted.

You may, at any time, ask questions about the experiment, the translation systems, or any other related topic. A daily safety brief will be conducted at the start of each day and an all-hands debrief will be conducted at the conclusion of each day’s activities. Time is scheduled for set-up, data-capture, and survey completion and interviews, as appropriate for each scenario performed. Sessions may last up to 4 hours and you may be asked to perform more than one session – up to 2 sessions in a single day. Each session will be scheduled in a 4-hour time block, and this block of time will be broken into segments. You may request to take a break at any time, but we prefer if you opt to take your breaks between session segments. You are free to withdraw at any time.

Risks/Benefits: There are no risks associated with your performance in this study. Although you will receive a pre-arranged compensation for participating in this study, longer-term potential benefits include advancement of tactical use translation systems.

Compensation: You will receive $50 per hour of participation in the evaluation. At the conclusion of your participation, you will be asked to verify the number of hours you participated, your mailing address and social security number. You will receive payment by mailed check within two weeks following the conclusion of the evaluation through the DARPA Information Processing Technology Office (IPTO).

Confidentiality: All data will be stored using coded values rather than your name. All data will be stored using coded values rather than your name. To the extent permitted by law, including the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the study’s investigators will control access to the data. There will be no key that links names and codes. Publications and presentations based on the data gathered in this study will be presented in such a way as to not identify individuals. The ground-truth video will be destroyed after the analysis results have been accepted by the DARPA program manager and the participating technology development teams.

Contact: If you have questions about the research study or about your role within the context of the study, you may contact the Principal Investigator:

Craig Schlenoff

Building 220, Room B170

Phone: (301)975-3456

mailto: schlenof@nist.gov

FAX: (301)990-9688

If you have questions about your rights as a research subject, you may contact Richard Cavanagh, NIST IRB Chairperson, richard.cavanagh@nist.gov, (301) 975-8301, or Melissa Lieberman, Deputy Chief Counsel for NIST, Melissa.lieberman@nist.gov, (301) 975-4783.

“I have read the above description of this research project. I have also spoken to a member of the evaluation team, who answered any questions I had about this project. I acknowledge that I have received a personal copy of this form. I agree to participate in this research and I understand that I may withdraw at any time.”

Subject’s Signature: _________________________________________ Date: _________

Investigator’s Signature: _________________________________________ Date: _________

Witness Signature: _________________________________________ Date: _________

DRAFT Initials _____________