Ethical Research Practices & Compliance Flashcards

When recruiting participants through social media for a study on social anxiety, what unique ethical concern arises?

Answer: Risk of targeting and re-contacting vulnerable individuals beyond study needs

Social media recruitment can unintentionally expose vulnerable populations and enable researchers to access personal data beyond what participants intended to share.

A researcher conducting pediatric research must obtain consent from parents AND assent from children aged 7-17. What does 'assent' mean in this context?

Answer: The child's affirmative agreement to participate, even if not legally binding

Assent is the child's agreement to participate and respects their developing autonomy, even though parental/guardian consent remains legally required.

Under HIPAA, which of the following is NOT considered Protected Health Information (PHI) in a research context?

Answer: Fully de-identified health data meeting Safe Harbor standards

Data that meets HIPAA Safe Harbor de-identification standards (removal of 18 specified identifiers) is no longer considered PHI.

What is the primary purpose of a Certificate of Confidentiality issued by NIH?

Answer: To protect identifiable research data from compelled disclosure in legal proceedings

A Certificate of Confidentiality protects researchers from being compelled to disclose identifying information in any civil, criminal, or legislative proceeding.

A researcher discovers a participant in an online health study has expressed suicidal ideation in open-ended responses. What is the ethical obligation?

Answer: Follow the study's a priori protocol for safety referrals and potentially break confidentiality

Participant safety overrides confidentiality; researchers must have pre-established protocols and act on imminent safety risks.

Which scenario exemplifies 'dual use' ethical concerns in research?

Answer: Research on pathogen transmission that could inform both public health and bioweapon development

Dual-use research produces knowledge that could be used for both beneficial and harmful purposes, requiring additional ethical oversight.

A firm conducting political polling must disclose which of the following under the AAPOR transparency initiative?

Answer: Who sponsored the poll, sample size, dates, and methodology

AAPOR's Transparency Initiative requires disclosure of sponsorship, field dates, sample size, sampling method, and question wording for public polls.