Research Plan 1: Information Gathering Survey

Research Date: Fall 2022-present

Summary of Research

Questions

What terms do legal professionals most often use to refer to the process of clearing criminal records (e.g., “record clearance,” “expungement,” etc.)?
What terms do legal professionals most often use to refer to the letters submitted to the court by people seeking to expunge their criminal records?
How do terms for (a) clearing a record and (b) a letter to the court vary according to target user group, role in the record clearing process, and geographic region?

Purpose

This survey is intended to provide exploratory research to generate insights on key terminology from the perspective of legal professionals with expertise in the expungement process. This research will inform the content strategy, help reduce user confusion, and kick off the partnership outreach. Specifically, the main goals of this study are:

to understand what terms are used by legal professionals to refer to (a) the process of clearing a criminal record, and (b) the letter/statement to the court describing the applicant’s personal story and reasons for requesting expungement
to identify and obtain contact information from legal professionals who work on expungement cases and might be interested in partnering with Expunge Assist (EA).

Methods

A 5-minute quantitative survey was used and created in Google Forms. Approximately n=50 participants were recruited through legal clinics.

Current Status

Ongoing

Relevant Issues

Outstanding Task Items

Data Collection
Data Analysis
Final Report

Assets

Related Wiki Pages

Research Home

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