Image Credit: Xavi Cabrera
Research is an integral concept to humankind’s progression and is one that we have employed in almost every facet of life (Nunnally and Farkas 2016). As applied to User Experience, research is integral to the process. It allows the UX team to systematically evaluate their product by identifying user needs, gathering evidence and applying those findings to further development (Geelhoed 2023; Maze 2023).
To complicate the issue, user research involves people and explores their thoughts and feelings around a product. Putting people at the centre of our research practices brings ethics into the conversation. Ethical problems occur universally and cover a vast range of themes; therefore, it is essential for UX as an industry to consider ethical codes of conduct when it comes to our research. However, ethics is a balancing act that must always weigh principles against outcomes, as official codes of conduct can only guide us to gauge what is and is not appropriate (Robson and Robson 2002). When part of an institution such as a university, researchers will have access to a more absolutist approach to ethics, including review boards outlining a specific process to follow (Parker 2023). However, individual companies or small UX teams may not have access to these processes and must rely on their own knowledge to progress ethically.
As a quick intro to the history of ethics in research, we were introduced to the Milgram Experiment and the Stanford Prison Experiment as pivotal moments when research crossed ethical boundaries (McLeod 2022; Tikkanen 2023). I realised that I already knew both experiments and had merely considered them fascinating glimpses into human psychology. However, by reframing them as research projects gone wrong, I have suddenly realised the importance of ethical considerations in my coursework and future career.
I found ethics in research a very engaging topic to learn about. As part of my general UX education, I have read many articles and opinion pieces on UX research, the hows and the whys and so on. But this was my first time coming across the discussion of ethics in research. I found the concept of deception especially interesting. In particular, how sometimes deception is necessary to filter out bias or to attain natural responses but how that inherently erodes the ethical nature of the study. Understanding the balance between research objectives and deceiving participants is a murky cross-section but one that provides highly engaging outcomes if done correctly.
To put this new information into practice, we were given several scenarios to react to and provide our opinions on the research practices exhibited. I found these mini challenges very through-provoking considering the various scenarios and the details I had to account for; some of them I found quite tricky to respond to as the problems were multifaceted and required careful consideration.
I look forward to bringing the theoretical considerations of ethics to my future research practices. It will be a brilliant moment to exercise my ability to put myself into someone else’s position and consider their outlook.
Example research scenario from weekly coursework
The research, for a practice-based PhD, involves engaging online presences in social networking sites under a pseudonym. It aims to explore the ways in which identity is constructed online. The research is such that it cannot be revealed in advance to those involved. The core of the research involves developing a community of online presences into a community of offline friends.
My Answer
High Risk Study
Seek advice from a legal professional and psychologist to identify as many potential pitfalls as possible before beginning the study. Participants should be selected carefully and be provided with informed consent forms which explicitly states that private conversations will be recorded, reviewed regularly by the ethics board and used in reports. At this point, an appropriate fake research topic should be established as the main focus for the private discussions. Online presences are people, and strict methodology should be observed at all times to remind the researcher of this fact to ensure their behaviour respects that. The researcher could develop a rough script to avoid straying into manipulation or asking for private information. This script could include methods or topics for sparking useful/insightful conversations but preventing the participant from revealing anything of a personal nature. Conversations would need to be reviewed regularly by the ethics board to ensure the researcher is respecting the individual at all times and not manipulating them into becoming friends. A cut-off point should be identified as to when the participant could be classed as an offline friend. As soon as the study is over, the participant should be informed of the real purpose of the study and immediately given the opportunity to withdraw their information. And maybe offered the phone number of a therapist once they discover their new friend was just using them for the data.
References
GEELHOED, Erik. 2023. ‘User and Audience Research’. Available at: https://learn.falmouth.ac.uk/courses/483/pages/week-8-user-and-audience-research?module_item_id=29824 [accessed 12 Mar 2023].
MAZE. 2023. ‘What Is UX Research? The Ultimate Guide for UX Researchers’. Maze [online]. Available at: https://maze.co/guides/ux-research/ [accessed 12 Mar 2023].
MCLEOD, Saul. 2022. ‘The Milgram Shock Experiment: Summary, Results, & Ethics’. Simply Psychology [online]. Available at: https://simplypsychology.org/milgram.html [accessed 12 Mar 2023].
NUNNALLY, Brad and David FARKAS. 2016. UX Research: Practical Techniques for Designing Better Products. O’Reilly Media, Inc.
PARKER, Alcwyn. 2023. ‘Integrity, Ethics and Policy’. Available at: https://learn.falmouth.ac.uk/courses/483/pages/week-8-integrity-ethics-and-policy?module_item_id=29825 [accessed 12 Mar 2023].
ROBSON, Kate and Mark ROBSON. 2002. ‘Your Place or Mine? Ethics, the Researcher and the Internet’. In Ethical Dilemmas in Qualitative Research. Routledge, 14.
TIKKANEN, Amy. 2023. ‘Stanford Prison Experiment | History & Facts | Britannica’ [Encyclopedia]. Encyclopedia Britannica [online]. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/event/Stanford-Prison-Experiment [accessed 12 Mar 2023].
German vocabulary of the week
Ethics – Ethik