Subject: Facebook survey

Date: Monday, March 21, 2011 2:27 PM

We recieved a request to share this link with our amputees to take an online survey for anyone who is an amputee and participates in a Facebook amputee support group. Please read his request below and if you would like to participate in his study, click the link he has provided.

Thanks in advance to all who can participate.

Natalie

Hello!

My name is Dennis Frohlich, and I am a master's student in communication at North Dakota State University. For my thesis I am studying amputee support groups on Facebook. I am interested in the amputees who use these groups and what they get out of being in these groups.

I am conducting an online survey of amputees, and need help your help. The survey will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete and is voluntary; you may withdraw your consent at any time, for any reason. Your identity will be protected; no report or publication will contain any information that will be traced back to you.

If you are over 18 years of age and are involved with at least one amputee group on Facebook, you are eligible to take the survey.

Here is the link to the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/amputeesurvey

To give you some personal background, I operate a support group on Facebook, "The United Colon Vlog." This group is for people with colon diseases, particularly people who've had their colon removed. I can empathize with missing a part of your body as I am missing my colon, though our experiences are different. This project will help me understand how other online communities based on a health condition operate.

Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,