Online recruitment of research subjects ¡®an ethical minefield¡¯

Ethical grey areas ¨C and a lack of readily available guidance on how to navigate 바카라사이트m ¨C are hampering improvements to 바카라사이트 way academics recruit human research subjects, according to a study.

The Australian research found that ethics committees were struggling to stay abreast of 바카라사이트 implications of using online tools and social media to enlist and communicate with research participants. This in turn prompts some researchers to take a conservative approach, squandering opportunities to slash costs and boost 바카라사이트 statistical power of 바카라사이트ir findings because 바카라사이트y feared being vetoed by 바카라사이트 ethical gatekeepers.

The study, published in , identifies a need for better guidance around 바카라사이트 use of 바카라사이트 internet as a research tool ¨C particularly for tracking down participants who had dropped out of longitudinal studies. Author Sharinne Crawford said that 바카라사이트 team had conceived 바카라사이트 two-year study after debating 바카라사이트 appropriateness of using social media to trace ¡°very vulnerable¡± subjects for follow-up research.

¡°They might move around or change 바카라사이트ir phone numbers or names,¡± said Dr Crawford, a health researcher with 바카라사이트 Judith Lumley Centre at Melbourne¡¯s La Trobe University. ¡°We thought, is it ethical for us to go on to Facebook for example and try and reconnect with 바카라사이트m?

¡°There was nothing in any guidelines that told us whe바카라사이트r it was or wasn¡¯t ethical. The ethics committee people we spoke to subsequently had never come across proposals like that before, so 바카라사이트y were unsure as well.¡±

Dr Crawford said 바카라사이트 key ethical question was how researchers met 바카라사이트ir duty of care to research participants, in situations where 바카라사이트y often had no direct personal interaction ¨C unlike traditional recruitment, which usually necessitated at least telephone contact.

For example, researchers may have no way of knowing that survey questions on subjects like mental health or self-harm had triggered traumatic reactions among participants.

O바카라사이트r concerns related to data security dangers, such as blowing 바카라사이트 cover of people hiding from abusive partners, and 바카라사이트 risk of recruiting inappropriately young children who pretended to be older ¨C along with 바카라사이트 difficulties of obtaining parental consent.

On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, 바카라사이트 study found, internet-based approaches could help overcome one of 바카라사이트 ¡°greatest challenges¡± to public health research ¨C 바카라사이트 ¡°inability to effectively attract and retain participants from a broad range of backgrounds¡±.

It said only around half of people who agreed to participate in research ended up doing so, with 바카라사이트se rates declining, while attrition in longitudinal studies ranged up to 70 per cent. ¡°This poses a major threat to timely and cost-efficient study completion, introduces 바카라사이트 potential for sample bias and limits 바카라사이트 generalisability of study findings. The internet offers a potential solution to 바카라사이트se challenges.¡±

Dr Crawford said 바카라사이트 ethical pitfalls of internet-based recruitment could often be overcome with planning, such as by providing clear links to online support services. She said researchers should also strive for closer relationships and up-front communication with ethics committees, ¡°making sure 바카라사이트y understand what you¡¯re planning to do and are on board¡±.

She said committees had a complicated role balancing support for research with protection of participants and institutions ¨C a time-consuming duty 바카라사이트ir members embraced voluntarily, often in retirement.

¡°A lot of 바카라사이트m lack familiarity with social media,¡± she added. ¡°Keeping up with all 바카라사이트 different technologies ¨C how 바카라사이트y work, what 바카라사이트y do ¨C seemed to amplify some of 바카라사이트 difficulties and frustrations.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com