Overview    

Misinformation about vaccines has spread a lot in recent years, making people doubt not only COVID-19 vaccines but all vaccines.

Because of this, we need new ways to help people recognise and fight misinformation and feel more confident about vaccines.

Online games are a great way to teach people how to identify and resist misinformation. Our aim is to create a game for Arabic-speaking Australians that is easy to understand and fun, to help improve vaccine confidence and stop the spread of misinformation.

Arabic speakers are diverse in culture, country of origin, religion and spoken dialect, and we will make sure the game is inclusive and relevant to different Arabic-speaking communities.

This study will:

1. Explore vaccine misinformation among Arabic-speaking communities in Australia.
2. Adapt an online game (Cranky Uncle) that teaches players to recognise vaccine misinformation. We want this game to be easy to understand and appealing to Arabic-speaking Australians.

Ways to participate

Focus group discussions

We will run online focus groups in November and December 2023 to learn more about participants' beliefs and attitudes about vaccines for children and adults. We will also talk about vaccine misinformation, including what it is about, who spreads it, and who it reaches.

Group discussions will be held via Zoom with groups of three to six people. If you take part, we’ll ask which language/s you prefer to speak and arrange an interpreter if needed.

The discussions will be organised at a time that suits everyone and will last about one hour. The sessions will be audio recorded and transcribed in English. The transcripts will not record identifying information, like names.

You will be compensated for your time with a gift card.

For more information about what is involved in participating, please read the  Participant Information Statement and Consent Form.

Participant Information Statement and Consent Form – English291.86 KB

Participant Information Statement and Consent Form – Arabic603.80 KB

Can I participate in a focus group discussion?

You are eligible to participate if you:

• Can read/understand Modern Standard Arabic
• Can access an online meeting via Zoom (through browser, app, or dialling in by phone)
• Are 16 years of age or over
• Can provide informed consent
• Live in Victoria

If you are eligible and you have read the participant information sheet, register your interest for our focus group today.

Focus group registration

Co-design workshop

The next stage of the project will be a co-design workshop held in early 2024.

We will hold in-person, half-day workshops with community members, where we will work together to redesign the look and feel of the online game, so that it is fun, easy to use and easy to understand for an Arabic-speaking Australian audience.

There will be up to 24 participants at the workshop. In small groups you will work through a series of interactive activities together to change the characters, wording, and real-world scenarios in the game.

The new version will go to the design and programming teams, who will make the changes for final feedback and testing with the Arabic-speaking community.

About the workshop

• The workshops will be held in a community meeting room such as a community centre, town hall or library at a time that is convenient to participants.
• The workshop will last approximately 3.5 hours and catering will be available.
• You will be compensated for your time with a gift card.

For more information about what is involved in participating, please read the Participant Information and Consent Sheet above.

Can I participate in a co-design workshop?

You are eligible to participate if you:

• Can read/understand Modern Standard Arabic or English
• Are 16 years of age or over
• Can provide informed consent
• Live in Victoria

If you are eligible and you have read the participant information sheet, register your interest in a co-design workshop.

Co-design workshop registration

Research team

Collaborators

Arabic-speaking Community Advisory Group (ACAG)

The study’s Advisory Group comprises 15 members from diverse Arabic-speaking communities across Melbourne.

This group offers guidance to improve the research team's cultural understanding and plays a pivotal role in various aspects of the study, including identifying the target participants, recruitment methods, data collection, and sharing research findings.

Funding

Department of Health

Contact us

Immunising Against Misinformation
Murdoch Children's Research Institute
The Royal Children's Hospital
50 Flemington Road
Parkville VIC 3052
Australia

Dr Sophia Vasiliadis
Senior Research Officer
Phone: show phone number
Email:  show email address