Seeking Research Participants: Converts/Reverts to Islam from Christianity

To Whom It May Concern/Assalamualaikum,

My name is Kate McCartney, and I am a Ph.D. Candidate in the Religious Diversity in North America joint Ph.D. program at Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Waterloo in Ontario. I am under the supervision of Dr. Meena Sharify-Funk, and after completing the required milestones in the program thus far, I am now ready to begin fieldwork.

My project is titled: A Switch of Faith: Navigating and Negotiating Conversion from Christianity to Islam in Canada. My goal is that this project will contribute to a body of literature on religious studies and, more specifically, conversion to Islam in Canada. Studies about conversion to Islam are in an embryonic stage in Canada, and the research that does exist focuses on converts to Islam as securitized subjects. This trans-Canadian study will provide a glimpse into the lives of converts to Islam through hearing their stories to change stereotypical narratives of converts to Islam.

I appreciate any help you can give me in finding research participants!

I am specifically looking for people who have converted to Sunni Islam from Protestant Christianity and are willing to share their conversion stories and experiences of navigating and negotiating their identity, faith, and relationships in a Canadian context.

Participant Criteria:
● Individuals who have converted to Sunni Islam from Protestant Christianity currently residing in Canada.
● They must be over 18 years of age.

If You Choose to Participate:
● You would read, sign, and return a consent form to me (Kate McCartney, the principal researcher)
● You would have the option to complete the interview virtually or in-person (with necessary COVID-19 protective measures)
● You would need to consent to an audio-recorded interview with Kate McCartney (video is optional, and for all virtual interviews, I will use ZOOM)
● You would commit to a minimum of 1 hour for the interview.
● You would have the option to use a pseudonym, your name, or remain unidentifiable in any write-ups
● You would receive a transcript of your interview where you will have the opportunity to review what you have shared and approve of or eliminate any part of the transcript.
● You would be asked to return the reviewed transcript within 2-3 weeks of receiving it for the researcher to continue promptly.
● The total amount of time you would give to this project as a participant would be approximately 3-8 hours

Details About Confidentiality:
● All audio and video recordings will be confidential and only accessible by Kate McCartney
● Dr. Meena Sharify-Funk (supervisor) will have access to transcripts only

More details related to confidentiality and participant consent can be found in the consent form.

If you or anyone you know would be interested in moving forward and potentially participating in this study, please get in touch with Kate McCartney through email: mcxc6230@mylaurier.ca

Please find a PDF poster attached. I would greatly appreciate it if you could circulate the poster through your contacts via email and social media accounts or print and display it in your facility.

Thank you for your time, consideration, and any assistance you are able to provide!

Sincerely,

Kate Elizabeth McCartney (Principal Researcher)
Ph.D. Candidate
Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Waterloo Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
mcxc6230@mylaurier.ca

This project has been approved by the Laurier Research Ethics Board (REB #7112)