Below, you can find the information letter for the study, Pioneers@Work: Tracking the Digital Workday. For any questions, don’t hesitate to contact Mari Braakman (m.a.j.braakman@uu.nl).

What is the purpose of this study?

This study investigates how work characteristics can be measured using Active Window Tracking (AWT) data and how these characteristics relate to well-being outcomes such as work engagement and exhaustion. A digital tool can be installed on a computer that allows for Active Window Tracking. This tool will track which application and window title is active at any given time and save it locally (on the computer). Based on this data, we aim to explore the extent to which work characteristics, such as workload and work variety, can be derived.

What will I do if I choose to be in this study?

Participation involves installing a tool for AWT (Pioneers), which tracks your computer activity locally. We ask that you monitor your computer activity for at least 25 working days using this app. During this period, you will receive short daily and weekly surveys (approximately 3 minutes each), as well as a one-time survey collecting demographic information at the start of the research. These surveys will be sent to you via email. To make it easier to fill in, the surveys can also be sent to you via Signal but that is optional. After the data collection period, we will ask you to export and share the AWT data with the research group. If you are interested, we can provide you with preliminary results of your computer activity.

How long will I be in the study?

The study will start in September or October 2025 and is scheduled to last at least 25 working days. The exact start and end dates can be discussed with the researchers.

What are the possible risks or discomforts?

Because AWT data reflects your computer activity, it may feel personal or privacy-sensitive. To protect your privacy, all data will be stored locally on your computer during the data collection period. After the first month, you may choose to export the data and securely share it with the research team via SURFfilesender. Once shared, the data will be securely stored on Utrecht University’s servers and will only be accessible to the research team. No information that would lead back to you will be shared with others.

Are there any potential benefits?   

Participating in this study may provide you with valuable insights into your work patterns and potential areas for improvement. After analyzing your data, we can offer feedback in the form of a meeting or a personalized report, highlighting notable patterns in your computer activity.

Do I have control over what data will be shared?

Before sharing your data, you will have the opportunity to review it yourself. The application stores your activity locally, and when exported, it will create a CSV file on your computer, which can be opened with common software (such as Excel). You may delete, pseudonymize, or filter out any entries, time periods, or window titles that you do not wish to share. Only after this review do you provide the data to the research team.

Because it may be difficult to create the right filters in the dataset, we offer the option to schedule a short meeting with Mari Braakman. In this meeting, you can get help applying filters yourself, or discuss how we can safely make the necessary changes together, ensuring that no sensitive data are shared.

Will information about me and my participation be kept confidential? 

Your responses will be kept strictly confidential, and digital data will be stored in secure computer files. Any publications based on this research will not include your name or any other individual information by which you could be identified. The project’s research records may be reviewed by departments at Utrecht University responsible for regulatory and research oversight and stored and encrypted for a period of 10 years, in accordance with Utrecht University’s research policy.

What are my rights if I take part in this study?

Your participation in this study is voluntary. You will not be paid for your participation. You may choose not to participate or, if you agree to participate, you can withdraw your participation at any time without being penalized.

Who can I contact if I have questions about the study?

• If you have questions, comments, or concerns about this research project, you can talk to one of the researchers. Please contact m.a.j.braakman@uu.nl or i.m.beerepoot@uu.nl
• If you have questions about your rights while taking part in the study or have concerns about the treatment of research participants, please write to: the secretary of the SG ERB, etc-beta-geo@uu.nl
• If you have any questions or concerns about the way Utrecht University handles your personal data in this research, please send an e-mail to Frans Huigen, the Faculty of Science Privacy Officer, through privacy-beta@uu.nl