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Research guidelines and standards tend to focus on the ideal methodological practices that social and market researchers need to undertake. Though that focus is extremely important, it’s also important to consider research from the point of view of the people who voluntarily take time out of their day to share their thoughts and opinions. Here are 7 core participant rights that researchers should accommodate in any research they conduct.
Consent
“Informed consent’ may be a more popular term but, if you think about it, it is impossible to give consent without first being fully informed. Consent is the entire requirement. Research participants have the right to be informed about a variety of things including:
- General topic and purpose of the research. Exceptions would include where doing so would invalidate the research results. In such cases, the topic and purpose could be revealed after the study is complete.
- The company conducting the research and the name of a person who can answer their questions.
- How their information will be used
- Whether any video or audio recordings will be made
- How much time is required
- What incentives will be offered
- Risks and benefits to their participation
What does this mean for researchers?
Beyond ensuring you share as many details as possible in research invitations, be sure a single contact person is prepared to answer questions posed by potential or current participants. And, ensure that person is easy to reach – participants should not have to send multiple emails or navigate multiple hyperlinks to access them. The onus is on the research company to ensure participants reach that person within one or two efforts.
Voluntary Participation and Withdrawal
Research participants have the right to withdraw their participation at any moment guiltfree and without penalty. This includes not participating in portions or the remainder of a study.
What does this mean for researchers?
While researchers can confirm that a participant wishes to skip a section of or halt the entire study, they may not intimidate or try to coerce participants into continuing. Things could get uncomfortable in a group setting but it’s up to the researcher to ensure the departing participant leaves with grace.
Confidentiality and Privacy
Research participants have the right to control their own information. This includes determining whether and with whom their personal information may be shared, and to have their personal information removed at any point. Participants also have the right to receive a research supplier’s privacy policy with ease and in a reasonable time frame.
What does this mean for researchers?
Most importantly, researchers should ensure their privacy policy is easily available on their website (here’s ours), and can be shared as a hyperlink in email invitations or follow up messaging. Additionally, research companies should have a formal process in place by which a participant’s information can be quickly removed.
Anonymization
Unless they have given consent (which we now know means they have all relevant information), research participants have the right for their information to be fully anonymized.
What does this mean for researchers?
When sharing verbatims in reports, change the details of the individuals involved. Mary becomes Susan, Mohommed become Hussain, Khari becomes Kanan. Even better, age 27 becomes age 29 and age 47 becomes age 46. Further, typos and language style can be preserved while also being altered. Thus, “you aint gonna do nothing” can become “you not gone do nothing.” As researchers, our goal is to preserve concepts, styles, and opinions not make it easy to identify the only woman at the local library who uses the word ‘ain’t.’
Safety
Safety is about more than preventing burnt tongues during a sensory test of soup or preventing cut fingers during a test of an innovative knife handle. Research participants also have the right to know about potential mental or emotional harm that may arise from feeling judged or shamed during discussions of sensitive topics like income, employment, health, sexuality, disabilities, religion, and children.
What does this mean for researchers?
Especially in the case of person-to-person research (e.g., focus groups, individual interviews, telephone interviews), ensure that precautions are taken so people don’t feel embarrassed or harassed by your questions. And, be sure to tell people at the beginning of the study if the topic or any questions could be perceived as sensitive.
Respect
Every research participant, regardless of age, gender, sexuality, disability, religion, and ethnicity, has the right to be treated respectfully during all stages of the research process.
What does this mean for researchers?
Respect plays out in many ways beyond respectful words and communications. As an overlying requirement, researchers must look out for and advocate for participant rights. More specifically, it includes asking only those questions that will actually be analyzed, being honest about how long participation will be, keeping screeners as short as possible, using advanced skip logic and piping to keep surveys short and readable, and ensuring your data collections tools are inclusive. Think about when you’re standing at a customer service desk at a store getting annoyed – this is what you are aiming to prevent with your research experience.
Research Only
Finally, research participants have the right to not be part of bait and switch tactics, whether mugging (marketing under the guide of research), sugging (selling…), or frugging (fund raising…).
What does this mean for researchers?
If you aren’t genuinely conducting research, don’t mislead people into thinking you are. That includes not using PII for direct marketing, list-building or any activities that aren’t directly related to the study and for which consent was not given. If you hope to offer special deals to people at the end of your survey, you don’t need research sample. You need an email or direct marketing list. Don’t damage the reputation of the market and social research industry by misusing research sample.
Summary
Though we’ve identified 7 core participants rights, they could be encapsulated under one single right – the right to be treated with respect. Respect means sharing information, respecting privacy, enforcing anonymity, not misleading people, and listening to people’s needs. By prioritizing respondent rights, market researchers not only comply with ethical and legal standards, they also foster engaged participation, leading to more accurate insights and long-term success. If you’re curious to learn more about our standards of research practice, please get in touch with one of our survey experts.
Additional Resources for Research Participants Rights
- Insights Association Participant Bill of Rights
- ESOMAR/WAPOR GUIDELINE ON OPINION POLLS AND PUBLISHED SURVEYS
- CRIC Public Opinion Research Standards and Disclosure Requirements
- MRIA Charter of Respondent Rights (MRIA no longer exists but the information remains important)
- Standards for the Conduct of Government of Canada Public Opinion Research
