On Thu, 4 Apr 2002, Jim Clark, responding to Rod Hetzel's ethics question, wrote: > > If the name of the researcher being withheld was part of the > ethics approval, then I would NOT second-guess the review > committee.
If I understand Jim correctly, he's saying that if the ethics review committee approved this proposal knowing that the name of the student experimenter would be withheld, then, by definition, it's ethical to do it. I agree with Jim. If the experimenter asked and the committee ruled it's ok, then it is. That's what a review committee is for. However, it would be best to ensure that the review committee was, in fact, aware of this detail. Being agreeable today, I also agree with Helen Harton, who pointed out that there should nevertheless be information of some kind about whom to contact about the research. This needn't be the bashful student experimenter, but there should be someone identifiable as responsible for responding to queries and/or complaints. Aside from that, it seems to me that warning potential subjects that the name of the experimenter is being withheld is sufficient for informed consent by itself. That is, the subject can then say "No way I'm going to fill out a questionnaire when I don't know who's behind it!" Or he or she can say, "Who cares", and fill it out anyway. It's their choice. If I was on a review committee, I'd approve this provided the subjects were informed that the name was being deliberately withheld. -Stephen ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stephen Black, Ph.D. tel: (819) 822-9600 ext 2470 Department of Psychology fax: (819) 822-9661 Bishop's University e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Lennoxville, QC J1M 1Z7 Canada Department web page at http://www.ubishops.ca/ccc/div/soc/psy Check out TIPS listserv for teachers of psychology at: http://www.frostburg.edu/dept/psyc/southerly/tips/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
