Question

What is the importance of debriefing participants after a survey . . . and can this impact the results? How does the timing of the debriefing play a role?

Answer 1

1. Debriefing is a process in which a session of structured or semi-structured conversation takes place between the participant and the researcher. During this session topics regarding the subject of study is discussed and participants can also ask questions regarding them. Debriefing usually takes place after a study has been conducted and concluded. Under the Ethics Code, researchers are to inform the subjects about the study and its conclusion using this process. Though, they are not required to tell everything about it from the beginning to end, but they need to provide a summary in layman's terms.

2. Since debriefing takes place after the study has been conducted, it does not impact the results. But not following the ethics code can invalidate the research or even the whole study can be rejected for not following standard ethics. So, it should be made sure that informed consent had been done before the study and debriefing session is conducted after the study. Usually debriefing has an educational session, where participants are told about the study and its conclusion. Then there is a post-deception session, where the participants are told why they were deceived. These are done to avoid issues that may deem the study as unethical.

3. Debriefing is important to both participants as well as researchers. Debriefing is where further learning about the topic of research take place. During this session the researchers are able to gather response of participants about the study and the problems they might have faced during the study. This can help researchers improve their topic of study. debriefing is done after the study, so that, researchers can help gain insight regarding the weaknesses or fallacies in their research topic. In case of participants, debriefing after study helps them understand about the topic and they are told about why they were deceived. This might help them understand as well as subdue the upsetting experience of not being fully informed prior about the study.