21/05/2025
INFORMATION SHEET – SURVEY
Who am I?
My name is Shawn Varghese and I work as an Assistant Lecturer at Massey University. As part of my doctoral studies, I am currently undertaking a research project at Massey University’s Institute of Education. My research focuses on investigating Indian tertiary international students’ experiences with migration intermediaries such as education agents and social media influencers when choosing to study in New Zealand.
What is this research about?
Migration intermediaries play a significant role in international student migration. While the use of intermediaries such as agents is a common practice among Indian international students, it remains a controversial topic due to the risks, power imbalances, and ethical concerns it raises for students. My research aims to explore Indian tertiary international students’ experiences with migration intermediaries and understand their role in facilitating student migration from India to New Zealand. My main research questions are: What are Indian tertiary international students' experiences of using migration intermediaries? To what extent do they feel their studying and living experiences in NZ aligned with the information they obtained through these intermediaries?
Who are the participants?
The participants for this survey are Indian nationals who came to New Zealand on or after 2020 and are either:
• Currently studying in a tertiary institution in NZ, OR
• Have completed your tertiary studies in NZ and are still residing in NZ.
At the start of the survey, there will be two screening questions allowing participants to self-report whether they meet the criteria. Only those who meet the criteria will be directed to the rest of the survey.
What will participants be asked to do?
Participants are requested to complete an online survey. It is anticipated that the survey will take approximately 15 to 20 minutes to complete. At the end of the survey, there will be an opportunity for participants to enter a prize draw to win one of two $100 supermarket vouchers.
If participants have any concerns about the process of gathering the survey data, they can contact me or my supervisors. Important information about the survey including contact details will be provided at the beginning of the survey.
What benefits will the research bring?
There is very limited research investigating Indian students’ actual experiences with migration intermediaries when moving from India to NZ. This research aims to provide Indian international students in NZ a platform to voice their opinions. Insights gained from this research could enhance support systems for future Indian tertiary students aspiring to study in New Zealand.
What will happen to the data?
The survey data will be used for answering my research questions, as described in section two. Data will be safely stored on Massey University OneDrive and held on my password protected computer. Findings will be used in my doctoral thesis and may be shared in academic publications and presentations. Participation in this research will not influence a participant’s professional relationship with me or any professional interactions they may have with Massey University. No names or other identifying details of individuals or institutions will be used in the thesis or publications. Once the study is complete, any identifying data will be safely destroyed within a period of five years and any non-identifiable data will be securely archived by the researcher.
What rights do participants have?
Participation in the survey is voluntary. Participants are under no obligation to accept the survey invitation. If they decide to participate, they have the right to refuse to answer any particular questions. However, some questions will be compulsory so that participants will be directed to the appropriate follow up questions. They may withdraw from the survey at any time before submission by exiting the platform without saving their responses.
Please do not hesitate to contact either me or the project supervisors at any time if you have any questions about the project. Contact details are as follows:
Researcher Supervisors
Mr. Shawn Varghese
Massey University, Manawatu campus.
[email protected]; 02108261829
1. Associate Professor Peter Rawlins
Massey University, Manawatu campus.
[email protected]; +6469517403
2. Dr Philippa Butler, Senior Lecturer
Massey University, Manawatu campus.
[email protected]; +6469517411
This project has been reviewed and approved by the Massey University Human Ethics Ohu Matatika 2, Application OM2 24/61. If you have any concerns about the conduct of this research, please contact the Chairperson, Massey University Human Ethics Ohu Matatika 2, email [email protected]
Thank you for considering this request.
Yours sincerely,
Shawn Varghese
Student ID: 19029970.
