Reference no: EM133545093
Internet-Based Research - SBE
Capella University - Learners
Question 1
Which of the following on-line research strategies raises the most concerns regarding the ethical principle of respecting the autonomy of research subjects and the corresponding federal regulations requiring informed consent?
A researcher observes the communications in an open support group without announcing her presence. She is interested in observing how long members participate and how the membership shifts over time.
A linguist copies portions of postings on a political blog to document the use of expletives, abbreviations, and the use of irony in the postings.
A researcher posts a notice on an open on-line support group for interracial adoptees asking anyone who would be interested in being interviewed for her study to contact her.
A researcher proposes to join a moderated support group for cancer survivors posing as a survivor. She plans to insert comments to see how the members respond.
Question 2
Researchers endeavoring to conduct an on-line study should consider that there are some potential risks of harm to subjects unique to internet-based research. One of these risks is:
Individuals may post private identifiable information about themselves on-line without intending it to be public and available to researchers.
People assume pseudonymous on-line identities, such as an avatar in an MMORPG.
Online studies do not require the documentation of informed consent.
Recruiting, consenting and debriefing subjects takes place on-line, and may require little to no interaction with the subjects.
Question 3
Which scenario best describes a researcher making thoughtful considerations in the design of their informed consent process on an online study?
The researcher will ask for a waiver of informed consent because the prevalence of bots completing online studies means there is no certain way to secure informed consent form actual research participants.
The researcher will ask for a waiver to document informed consent and instead will have a live button that reads, "If you agree to be in this study click below to begin."
The researcher will ask for a waiver to document informed consent because participation in the study is limited to non-playable characters (NPCs) or avatars designed and controlled by artificial intelligence.
The researcher will ask for a waiver of informed consent because prospective participants are individuals registered in an on-line panels, thus they have already given their consent to be a research participant.
Question 4
Which of the following examples of using the internet to conduct research meets the federal definition of research with human subjects?
Gathering data to supplement an oral history project about a local civil rights activist. The activist passed away while the researcher was in the process of conducting in-person interviews with the individual's social network.
Downloading a publicly available dataset that includes high school students' academic achievement rates. The data are in aggregate and were derived from multiple school districts from different states.
Conducting an on-line focus group with cancer survivors to determine familial support systems. The researcher also invites subjects' significant others to be a part of the focus group.
Analyzing a website visitor report from several pro-anorexia blogs to determine the popularity of each blog. Access to the blogs is not restricted.
Question 5
Consent to participate in research is an ongoing process. Which of the following strategies would help ensure that participation in a survey about a sensitive personal topic remains voluntary throughout a study?
Providing a thorough debriefing at the end of the study.
Including the institution's privacy policy on the survey site.
Giving examples in the consent process of the kinds of questions that will be asked.
Designing the survey so that subjects are not forced to answer one question before going to the next.