Research in Dublin

Hi Everyone, I just registered from here in Dublin, Ireland. As you can see from the subject line, I am going to talk about the research I am undertaking at University College Dublin. I hope that my registering and posting this message won't be considered inappropriate for this forum? I am registered on the Adoption Ireland message board too, and people there have been very helpful and, I trust, haven't been offended by my request. I am also in touch with all the adoption agencies in Ireland, and some of them have been very kind in letting people know about my research and are trying to help me recruit volunteers. Let me explain...I am in my final year of a Pure Psychology B.A. degree at UCD, and part of my course requirements are to carry out a piece of original research by next February (2004). I am not adopted myself, but my husband is, as are a number of close friends, and as a result I am very interested in the whole topic. My aim is to recruit 60 adopted adult volunteers who are EITHER actively searching for any biological relatives OR who have been reunited in any way with any biological relative (so I need around 30 volunteers in each group). I am interested to investigate whether the search status of an individual impacts upon their psychological functioning. If people were interested in helping, there would be 4 psychological questionnaires (on self-esteem, attachment, aggression and loneliness), plus a brief demographics questionnaire (asking search status, age, marital status etc.) to fill in. ALL RESPONSES ARE ANONYMOUS. I can either send out 'hard' copies of the information sheet and questionnaires if people let me have a postal address (and I'd include a self-addressed envelope for their return to me at UCD), in which case individuals' addresses would be completely confidential, or, if preferable, I can e-mail them to individuals as attachments. I do have some volunteers already, but I am well short of the numbers I need to make my research truly viable. If I succeed in gathering an appropriate sample, I will disseminate a summary of my findings to all participants at the end of my academic year (i.e. around next June). If anyone thinks they fall into one of the 2 groups ("searching" OR "reunited") and would be interested in volunteering, or if you'd like to ask any questions, please e-mail me at: victorianewmansumner@eircom.net Thanks for your time and attention and I look forward to hearing from you. Best wishes, Victoria