human studies program office of research compliance vice chancellor for research and graduate...
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Human Studies ProgramOffice of Research ComplianceVice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education
Ethical Considerations When Designing and Conducting Internet-
Based ResearchCTE
DCS IRB Series – Event 3December 1,2014
Denise Lin-DeShetler
Human Studies ProgramOffice of Research Compliance
Why do we need to discuss internet research?◦ Research about internet and using internet is increasingly
popular and important◦ Federal regulations were written before internet became
universal They are currently silent about the use of internet for research
involving human participants Some guidance available, but they are ever-evolving; based on
FAQs
About Internet Research
Human Studies ProgramOffice of Research Compliance
“Internet Research” as a tool for research and as a locale or venue of research:
◦ Research involving study of information already available on the Internet
◦ Using Internet as a medium for recruiting or interacting with subjects
◦ Research about the Internet itself and its effects (e.g., popularity of social media types)
◦ Research about Internet users
◦ Internet used as an experimental intervention
Types of Internet-based research
Understanding Tool vs. Locale
As a tool… As a locale….
Research involving: Survey instruments, databases,
search engines, databanks May not involve direct
interaction with human participants, but PII may still be collected
Research (qualitative and quantitative) that utilizes Internet “spaces” such as:
Chat rooms, gaming world, other other simulated locales
But….
Research methods using Internet phoning, video conferencing or online chat (i.e., Facetime, Skype) can be both use as a tool and a locale.
Human Studies ProgramOffice of Research Compliance
Stages in a Research Project1. Recruitment2. Data Collection
As a tool….ObservationsData Mining
3. Publication of ResultsPossible re-recruitment
How is the internet used in research involving human participants?
Human Studies ProgramOffice of Research Compliance
Recruiting subjectsAdvertisingConsent ProcessEnrolling Participants
Human Studies ProgramOffice of Research Compliance
The recruitment material placed on the internet should follow similar rules of any other recruitment material:◦ Are not unduly coercive◦ Do not promise or imply favorable outcomes or other
benefits apart from what is written in the protocol◦ Do not communicate that the study product (or intervention)
is safe or effective for the purposes under investigation◦ Do not make claims that the product or intervention is known
to be equivalent or better to any other product or intervention
◦ Do not use language that regulatory authorities, such as the IRB, have approved the research
◦ Do not emphasize payment
Online Advertisements
Recruitment
IRB Should Review IRB Do Not Need to Review
Paid advertisements In-text advertisements Advertisements on
social networks Social network page
to promote study Any study-specific
direct advertisements via blog, blog post, tweet, or text
Advertisement of study-specific information limited to basic trial information (title, purpose, and study locations)
Communication that are education or provide generation information (i.e., podcast describing symptoms of HIV)
Study-specific publicity intended for general audience (i.e., news stories)
Human Studies ProgramOffice of Research Compliance
Types of internet-based recruitment methods:◦ Email◦ Online Advertising◦ Chatroom Postings
All recruitment materials need to be reviewed and approved before use.
General listings of research studies on websites that provides limited information do not need prior approval from IRB (e.g., SONA, Clinicaltrials.gov)1. Study Title2. Purpose3. Protocol Summary4. Contact information
Online Advertisements
Human Studies ProgramOffice of Research Compliance
Sending promotional messages (ads) about a study without using the medium in ways typical of a common user.◦ Is this appropriate use of the website?◦ Intrusive to potential participants?
Advertising in social network sites or Twitter groups, such as a cancer support group, may seem intrusive and inappropriate to members of that group
Should the researcher get permission from the owner of the website?
Human Studies ProgramOffice of Research Compliance
Appropriate methods for documenting consent should reflect the risk and complexity of the research◦ For minimal risk: waiver of consent whereby
participants click on the “I agree” statement on consent form to proceed to research activities Must meet the regulatory criteria for a waiver of informed
consent◦ For more than minimal risk:
Traditional signed consent, returned to PI who will then give consenting participants password to access research material
E-signatures Consent process through chat, email, or other online venue
Documenting Informed Consent over the Internet
Human Studies ProgramOffice of Research Compliance
Child participants:◦ Authentication of age with use of age verification systems◦ When research involves participation of minors, both child
assent and parental consent still applies, unless research meets appropriate criteria for waiver of parental permission
Readability◦ It is more difficult for investigators to discern whether or
not their participants understand the consent because process can be done asynchronous, and the opportunity to ask the researcher questions about the research is usually slim.
Special Considerations when obtaining Informed Consent
Human Studies ProgramOffice of Research Compliance
When obtaining consent over the internet, we assume that potential participants at least 18 years old◦ Age verification systems◦ Questions that are more easily answerable to one
who is at least 18 (i.e., identifying images of old items)
To authenticate identity when research involves more than one interaction:◦ Provide study participants PIN to be used for
subsequent computer and internet-based data collection.
Authentication
Human Studies ProgramOffice of Research Compliance
Observation of Internet Activity
Public vs. Private Domains
Human Studies ProgramOffice of Research Compliance
Collecting Data over the Internet
Data MiningInformational Risks
Human Studies ProgramOffice of Research Compliance
Case 2: A researcher wants to collect data from an HIV support group website on Facebook to examine how
much perceived support participants are receiving from participating in different types of support (chat groups vs. support group sessions vs. blogs) they learn from
subscribing to the website. The website allows users to make suggestions about the usability of the different
resources the website provides.
Does this study require IRB approval if no names or other identifiers are collected?
Can this study be done without PII?
Case Study: Data Mining
Human Studies ProgramOffice of Research Compliance
Per 45 CFR 46.101(b), research using only secondary data that is publicly available or
de-identified do not need IRB approval
However:Research that utilizes data from blogs, newspaper responses, and social media
networks should not have the same rules for IRB approval because the expectations of
privacy by participants varies depending on the venue
Data Mining
Human Studies ProgramOffice of Research Compliance
Is there unauthorized disclosure of illegal behavior, substance abuse, or chronic illness? Legality/ Criminal acts Stigmatization Financial Reputation
We look at identifiable information that is being collected: User posting on study-specific website in which user may be
sharing PII De-identified quotes gathered from blogs that can
inadvertently be traced back to individual Repurposed photograph of individuals or group posted on
website without permission
Informational Risks
Human Studies ProgramOffice of Research Compliance
Publicly available means:◦ Available at no charge to anybody with a
computer◦ Available to anybody willing to pay the requisite
fee◦ Available to anybody who meets the terms of a
use agreement Data that is publicly available qualifies for
exemption
What is “publicly available” data from the Internet?
Human Studies ProgramOffice of Research Compliance
Privacy: refers to individuals’ right to have control over access to themselves and their information
Confidentiality: refers to how information that is obtained from individuals is protected.
Privacy vs. Confidentiality
Human Studies ProgramOffice of Research Compliance
Private information (in research) is “information about behavior that occurs in a context in which an individual can reasonably expect that no observation or recording is taking place, and information which has been provided for specific purposes by an individual and which the individual can reasonable expect will not be made public (e.g., medical records).
If the individual intentionally posts information on the internet, then this is public information, UNLESS the policies and/or terms of service of the entity hosting the information indicates this is “private.”
Some may assume their post is “private” but are in fact, not. If in doubt, always go conservative. That is, consider it
private information.
“Private Information” on the Internet