Question

You are approached by a 3^rd year health sciences student who is trying to recruit you to participate in a study of student mental health.  You are told that it involves an online survey, and covers topics like your current mental health, whether or not you access campus resources for mental health care, past experiences that may have been involved in the determination of your mental health experiences, and how your mental health relates to your academic outcomes during first year.

The 3rd year student is a research assistant on this project that is led by a new faculty member.  He is being paid to recruit students, and he tells you that he gets $25 for each successful recruit.

He explains the survey protocol in detail to you.  The protocol involves having you sign in to a web-based survey platform, provide a bit of information about yourself and your background, then answer questions about your mental health.  You will fill out the survey and provide your student ID number which will be linked with your academic record over first year (provided by the University Registrar), and also your health care visits to Student Health Services over the year (provided by Student Health and Wellness Services).  

Once the survey is completed you will receive a coupon for Tim Hortons, and also be eligible to enter a draw for a new iPad.  The study data will be kept by the student on his laptop, as well as the faculty members’ server.  Your name will be provided as part of the survey, but will never be used in any reporting.

In a one page response (maximum), please describe the types of questions you would ask the person recruiting you for study, in order to determine whether this research meets ethical standards.

Answer 1

Ethical standards in research

Ethical standards are the standards of conduct for the person who is conducting the research.

In order to make sure that the research is meeting the ethical standards the questions can be asked from the following main areas.

1. Stakeholders : The researcher should define the participants

Eg: Who are all can be the particpants?

2. Bias : The researcher should make sure that the study is free from bias.

3. Rights of the participants

a. Right to withdraw from the research

b. Willingness of the participants

c. Right to know about the risk of participation

d. Right to know the Benefits of participation

e. Contact person for the participants in case of doubts

f. Right to know the purpose of the study, how they are going to utilise the research findings,

g. Right to know the type of study

h. Right to know whether they will be in experimental group or control group

i. Right to know about the compensatory benefits

j. Right to know about the monetary benefits

4. Publication credit

Whether the students name will be there in the publication

5. Educative value of the study

Whether it will affect the studies of the participant

Will it contribute to the studies?

6. Confidentiality and privacy

Storage of information

Sharing of information

Sharing of findings

Anonymity of the participants

7. Funding of the research

The participants is also having the right to know the source, amount, how it is utilizing

8. Informed consent

It should contain information about purpose of study, risks of participation, benefits of study, what is expected out of the participants

These are the main areas where questions can be asked in order to make sure the research is meeting the ethical standards.