Reporting 150L ANU survey to the university's Research Ethics Committee

I know that most folks are tired of surveys, and while I do tend to feel for some people like students trying to complete assignments, the recent spam for "150L for every participant" from the ANU College of Business & Economics is way overboard. Not only would I encourage people to AR the poster to LL but to also report this to the university's research ethics committee since they should really know better than to conduct a study in this manner.

EDIT: **FYI: Conduct has already been reported to the university and it's being investigated.

The ANU College of Business & Economics research ethics committe can be reached at:

Any queries about research ethics can be forwarded to: [email]Human.Ethics.Officer@anu.edu.au[/email]

University Research Web Page:
http://cbe.anu.edu.au/research/resources/ethicsappinst.asp

The survey indicated that the contact person for this study is Dr. Susanna Ho so she is likely the Principle Investigator for the research: susanna.ho@anu.edu.au

I'm failing to see what your issue is. I mean, sure, were all a bit survey-weary, but at least the guy actually pays.

The issue is academic research needs to follow specific protocols and review by IRBs (institutional review boards) that must meet specific criteria with regards to things like study design, compensation, consent and the manner in which they advertise and recruit for participants etc. I don't think ANU's ethics committee would be too pleased with the way this research is being conducted and it will call into question the veracity of any published results.

As long as I get paid and don't have to give sensitive information, I'll let the university's committee(s) worry about that.

[EDIT: I take it back. This dude posts the same thing every month. Worse, this time he posted the same thing in ALL the forums. Something Smells Fishy.]

[2nd EDIT: I went back to check my transactions. I never got paid. OK...this guy's goin' DOWN! ]

Um ... this guy could just be some student whose results aren't going to be published at all. I understand the complaints about spamming the forums and so forth ... but aside from acceptable forum behaviors, what's unethical about what he's doing?

IRBs review not only things like ethical issues of informed consent and proper disclosure of potential benefits and risks associated with participation but also review the manner and process in which you are recruiting participants.

I know what an IRB is, dude. I wanted to know what you thought he was doing that you saw as unethical, outside of forum stuff.

Like I said before, I'm not questioning the ethics of the actual study but IRBs also review the process in which research is conducted and I don't feel they would approve of the recruitment process in this case.

I think I love you Ghosty.

I'm not remotely interested in trying to derail the survey poster's academic career because I had to scroll past a couple more posts. The methods will be detailed in the finished piece and will be reviewed by someone whose job it is to review them.

Unless the survey calls for a random sampling of English-speaking SL residents, in which case this forum would be just the thing, wouldn't it? Every name here is a registered LL account. Respondents on a silver platter.

As far as the forum issues, sure, get LL on the case and let them know you're not happy about it. However, since you have no idea what the requirements the survey demands are for respondents, you're going to report him to the IRB for ... what?

This.

p.s.: I have a gf. But I appreciate the sentiment.

If you want to report this resident to a research ethics committee then I guess that’s your porogative and is not really relevant to us SL users. But filing an AR against this person to LL is surely overkill? How exactly have they breached the TOS that you feel justifies you filing this AR?

LL TOS 4.1
(vii) upload, post, email or otherwise transmit any unsolicited or unauthorized advertising, or promotional materials, that are in the nature of "junk mail," "spam," "chain letters," "pyramid schemes," or any other form of solicitation that Linden Lab considers in its sole discretion to be of such nature;

The forums come under the same rules as the grid. Supposedly.

So am I breaching the TOS by advertising my business in my Sig?

No. Your sig is not the message. However, if it's deemed you're just posting messages so that people see your sig ... that's been done before.

The key here is intent. If you were sending messages with the content of your sig alone, that would def be considered spam.

Let me try to explain myself using this analogy: You're conducting an obesity study on university aged subjects. You submit your scientifically worthy study to the university's research committee along with usual stuff like informed consent, and describe your recruitment process as something like ads on college radio, campus newspaper and flyers around the school. You start to tape your flyers in no-poster zones and on the front door of the local McDonalds because you're having a hard time getting your numbers. The recruitment process is within the mandate of the ethics committee and I don't think they would approve of this.

I'm really not trying to kill someone's academic career and I doubt a complaint like this would do so. We often complain about "no one gets me" in response to inaccurate media portrays of SL. What I am advocating is research being done in an appropriate manner. Someone in another thread made some comment about how it might be better if people came to places like the forum and ask for help in designing a great survey. I know what I suggested might seem a bit heavy handed but given that this study is associated with a university, I hold them to a higher standard. Informing a research committee of such things would hopefully improve upon how SL studies are going to be handled in the future and we can get some true data supporting that fact that indeed we are all crazy, cross dressing, immoral sex fiends

Agreed. However, this isn't McDonalds, this is an SL forum - in fact, "the" SL forums. Since we have no idea what the criteria is for respondents, you are making an assumption that seeking respondents here is somehow unethical (again, outside of forum rules, etc.).



Well, I thought that was a given.

Maybe he didnt get his $150L's lol

I took the survey and got mine dude if ya dont like it.. no one is forcing you to read the survey post... ok maybe I am forcing you to.. but hey I'm a cat.. your a human.. you gotta do what I say... other then that...

I did get it ... and yeah I know I sound like a big drama queen but poorly conducted research is just a personal pet peeve of mine. I just think there are lots of interesting research avenues in virtual worlds and I'd like to see some good stuff come out it but done in the right way rather than seeing it posted in 29 places in the forums like under the forum sections: "educators", "shopping", "special attractions" etc. It's setting a poor precedent. Done in the right way, you'll get much better data.

Speak for yourself...

1 person agrees, and also supports the AR, not least because the way this survey is being conducted reflects badly on the university in question.

maybe we could seek to inform the poster of the proper places to post? is it necessary to ar them without even speaking with them first?

I will report those posts as long as they are being cross-posted to every forum. I hate the 10-a-day survey requests in general, though I usually ignore it, but to have one jackass cross-posting a survey request on every forum two days in a row is just too much.


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I've *never* seen any public forum where it's considered acceptable to cross-post to every available forum. I can't understand the confusion of thinking that would allow him to think that doing so is not spam.


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Plus, a moderator already posted a warning not to cross post this morning. Researcher then turned around and posted in nearly all the forums 12 hours later again. I don't really care if the OP's academic career is damaged. Some people really do not deserve school and in this case I hope they have a life of working at McDonalds to look forward after this stunt.

According to this page:

http://www.anu.edu.au/ro/ORI/Office/ORI_RRP.php

The person designated to receive complaints would be Bob Goodin.