Satisfaction Questionnaire

Dear colleague,

First of all, we would like to thank you for the interest shown on the EUROFORGEN-NoE project. Most of you have followed the progress of this initiative from the beginning and we really appreciate your collaboration and your participation in many EUROFORGEN activities.

Now that the project period has finished, and as a final request, we would really appreciate if you could give us your opinion about the benefits of the EUROFORGEN activities carried out. It only takes about 10-12 minutes to complete the questionnaire! When submitting the questionnaire, you will receive an automatically generated e-mail, containing the questions and your answers. Please feel free to add additional comments or suggestions at the end of the questionnaire.

In case you have any remarks or questions, please contact us.

Thank you in advance for your willingness to complete the EUROFORGEN-NoE satisfaction questionnaire!

Angel Carracedo and Peter Schneider

General remarks

The following questionnaire aims to determine your level of satisfaction (understood as user level of approval taking into account his or her expectations) and the benefits after the implementation of the activities and initiatives undertaken throughout the EUROFORGEN-NoE project period. The survey mainly consists of short questions with a predefined set of responses (yes/no/don’t know; or along a continuum of 1 to 5), but please note that at the end of the questionnaire there is space for you to add your own comments.
The responses will be anonymous and as such cannot be withdrawn from the data set once data analysis has taken place. The data will be analysed as a whole and they will be used to have a feedback on the participants' opinions about the EUROFORGEN-NoE project and to evaluate the perspectives for its long-term sustainability.
The analyzed results of this survey will be published on the EUROFORGEN website.

In the subsequent section, most questions include a range of 1 to 5, where 1 means “very unsatisfied” and 5 “very satisfied” (or “not useful” (1) to “very useful” (5) in some questions). Please select the appropriate number from the dropdown list.

Please provide the following information about your own background.

Contact - Form

Country*

Type of forensic or legal institution*

One of the milestones achieved in our project was the development of the EUROFORGEN-NoE website in combination with a website for the European Virtual Centre for Research in Forensic Genetics (restricted area devoted to registered EUROFORGEN members). Have you ever visited the EUROFORGEN-NoE website?*

2. If you answered "yes", how satisfied are you with the information shared about the project in the public area of the EUROFORGEN-NoE website?

3. In case you have asked for access to the EUROFORGEN members' area, what is your overall level of satisfaction about the content available?*

4. Regular newsletters have informed about EUROFORGEN-NoE during the project period, providing updates on the Consortium work, as well as announcements of upcoming events. Have you received any of the newsletters? *

5. If you answered "yes", how satisfied were you with the information shared by the EUROFORGEN-NoE regular newsletters?

6. Dissemination activities have been at the heart of EUROFORGEN-NoE in order to increase the network's visibility (e.g. public conferences, pre-congress ISFG workshops, local statistics training workshops,...).

Have you taken part in any of these activities?*

7. If you answered "yes", how satisfied were you with the activities? (Did you find the activities useful? Did these activities help you to be informed about the EUROFORGEN-NoE project?)

8. A map of the "European landscape in forensic genetics" is available on the EUROFORGEN-NoE website.

It displays forensic genetic institutions performing research and/or casework, and provides their contact details. This online directory represents a search mechanism to find partners for specific project collaborations, or to identify experts at European level. Do you find it helpful to have this tool available? *

9. Have you used the online directory to locate another partner for support or collaboration?*

10.

In order to stimulate communication and information exchange between forensic genetics service providers and users, short-term fellowships for visits among representatives from academic institutions, forensic service providers, and wider criminal justice organisations had been offered. This initiative has aimed to increase awareness of the specific needs of forensic genetics research, and to provide opportunities for direct exchange of information. From your point of view, to what extent did the fellowships contribute to furthering these aims?*

11. If you have been involved with our project (applying to the fellowship programme, contacting EUROFORGEN partners, attending EUROFORGEN dissemination activities such as courses or educational workshops), what is your overall level of satisfaction?*

12. On June 23rd 2016, EUROFORGEN-NoE held its International Dissemination Conference "Forensic DNA analysis in the light of the new security needs" in Venice, Italy, in connection with the IALM.

The conference was an opportunity to exchange information and ideas among scientists, experts and stakeholders from the security sector, and the judiciary. Have you had a chance to attend the International Dissemination Conference?*

13. If you answered "yes", how satisfied were you with the activities related to the exchange of expertise and information?

14.

WP3 carried out six exemplar projects to integrate cutting edge research (WP3-1 DNA discovery at the crime scene, and identification of the biological source of DNA evidence; WP3-2 development of new genetic markers providing DNA-based intelligence about unidentified stain contributors; WP3-3 software tools for the biostatistical interpretation of complex DNA-based evidence; WP3-4 Association of a body fluid with a DNA profile by targeted RNA and DNA sequencing; WP3-5 Development of electrochemical biosensor technologies for the detection of tissue specific DNA methylation; WP3-6 Forensic DNA phenotyping of hair structure for investigative purposes). Are you aware of the research results, and that the publications are available in the members' area?*

15. If you answered "yes", how satisfied are you about the research results?

16. The societal dimension of existing and emerging forensic genetics technologies as well as their ethical and legal aspects were investigated in WP4. Are you aware of the results? *

17. Are you aware that the consortium publications related to WP4 are available in the dissemination section of the website?*

18. If you answered "yes", did you find the WP4 results useful for your own research?

19. The guide "Making Sense of Forensic Genetics" has been produced to present information to professional and general publics of forensic DNA use in the criminal justice system. Are you aware of this guide?*

20.

The launch of this guide has included a series of public relation activities to raise attention to current issues and new technologies in forensic genetics, and to raise the awareness about challenges and limitations to avoid miscarriages of justice. From your point of view, to what extent are the guide and the related public relation activities helpful to achieve these aims?*

21.

The EUROFORGEN website contains a section dedicated to forensic genetics training, including information on "Upcoming courses", "Regular courses", "Exchange options", "Online resources" and "Online Training Academy" in Europe (https://www.euroforgen.eu/training/). How satisfied are you with the information shared on the EUROFORGEN-NoE website about the courses available?*

22.

The EUROFORGEN-NoE Consortium has also prepared educational material, uploaded on the EUROFORGEN-NoE website, and has carried out online real time webinars. These webinars have also been made available as recorded video presentations for individual viewing. From your point of view, how useful do you consider this type of activities for the education and training of experts?*

23. The consortium has organized a series of "Train the trainer" workshops about "Biostatistical interpretation of complex DNA evidence" for experts from all over Europe.

This has enabled the participants to organize local satellite workshops on the same topic for national experts and to spread the knowledge about advanced DNA interpretation methods horizontally. Have you taken part in any of these activities?*

24. If you have answered "yes", how satisfied are you with these training activities (including "satellite" workshops)?

25. How useful do you consider maintaining the network and the EUROFORGEN-NoE website?*

26. How satisfied overall are you with the work of EUROFORGE-NoE, in terms of reaching EUROFORGEN aims (as described in the EUROFORGE-NoE website, and indicated in the questions above)?*

27. Missing content on the website

28. Proposed topics to be treated within the network (e.g. suggestions for new webinars)

29. How, in your opinion, will the research results impact on the field of forensic genetics? (see Q.15)

30. How, in your opinion, will the ethical results impact on the field of forensic genetics? (see Q.18)

31. Additional information or comments

Newsletter (3/2016)

Dowload here