CRP Ethics & Professional Conduct 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A researcher discovers mid-study that a competitor published nearly identical findings. What is the most ethical course of action?
- Abandon the study to avoid appearing redundant
- Continue the study and note the prior publication, adding value through replication or extension (Correct answer)
- Secretly alter the research questions to differentiate from the competitor
- Rush to publish before fully completing data collection
Correct answer: Continue the study and note the prior publication, adding value through replication or extension
Replication and extension of prior research is scientifically valuable; researchers should continue transparently and cite the prior work.
Question 2: Under ESOMAR guidelines, how long should research data that can identify respondents be retained after a project concludes?
- Indefinitely, as long as it is secured
- No longer than necessary for the research purpose, per agreed data retention policies (Correct answer)
- Exactly 10 years regardless of purpose
- Until the client requests deletion
Correct answer: No longer than necessary for the research purpose, per agreed data retention policies
ESOMAR requires that identifiable data be retained only as long as necessary for the stated research purpose and per established retention policies.
Question 3: A client pressures a CRP to omit statistically significant but unfavorable findings from the final report. The researcher should:
- Omit the findings to maintain the client relationship
- Include a summary of findings only, avoiding the problematic data
- Report all significant findings fully, regardless of client preference (Correct answer)
- Flag the findings as inconclusive to soften their impact
Correct answer: Report all significant findings fully, regardless of client preference
Professional integrity requires reporting all significant findings accurately, even when they conflict with client expectations.
Question 4: Which scenario best illustrates a conflict of interest in market research?
- A researcher uses a standardized questionnaire developed by a trade association
- A research firm studies a company in which its principal investigator holds stock (Correct answer)
- A researcher interviews respondents recruited through a panel provider
- A study sponsor requests a peer review of the methodology
Correct answer: A research firm studies a company in which its principal investigator holds stock
Financial interest in the subject of research creates a conflict of interest that must be disclosed or resolved.
Question 5: When debriefing respondents after a study that used deception, the researcher must:
- Only debrief respondents who directly ask about the study's purpose
- Provide a full explanation of the true purpose and allow respondents to withdraw their data (Correct answer)
- Explain that deception was necessary without revealing the actual hypothesis
- Send a written debrief only if IRB requires it
Correct answer: Provide a full explanation of the true purpose and allow respondents to withdraw their data
Ethical standards require a full debriefing that discloses the true purpose and gives respondents the option to withdraw their data.
Question 6: A CRP is approached by a journalist requesting access to raw interview transcripts. What should the researcher do?
- Share transcripts that do not contain names
- Refuse unless respondents have explicitly consented to such disclosure (Correct answer)
- Provide anonymized excerpts at the researcher's discretion
- Share transcripts if the client approves the release
Correct answer: Refuse unless respondents have explicitly consented to such disclosure
Respondent confidentiality means data can only be shared with third parties if respondents have given explicit prior consent to that specific type of disclosure.
Question 7: Which principle underpins the concept of 'research on research' (RoR) in professional conduct?
- Reducing research costs by reusing existing data
- Improving research quality and methodology through systematic evaluation of research practices (Correct answer)
- Validating that respondents answered questions truthfully
- Ensuring clients receive reports in a timely manner
Correct answer: Improving research quality and methodology through systematic evaluation of research practices
Research on research (RoR) aims to improve the quality, reliability, and validity of research methods through systematic methodological evaluation.
CRP Ethics & Professional Conduct 2
A researcher discovers mid-study that a competitor published nearly identical findings.
What is the most ethical course of action?