AUTEC Faculty AUTEC Faculty Representative for Design and Representative for Design and

Creative TechnologiesCreative Technologies

Dr Robert WellingtonDr Robert Wellington

WT 116WT 116

robert.wellington@aut.ac.nzrobert.wellington@aut.ac.nz

The New Zealand ContextThe New Zealand Context

Shift of power in legislation from the Shift of power in legislation from the Researcher to the ResearchedResearcher to the Researched

The National Women’s Hospital scandal The National Women’s Hospital scandal and the effect on the public’s perception of and the effect on the public’s perception of researchersresearchers

The BIG QuestionThe BIG Question

How do we decide what is How do we decide what is ethical in a society in which ethical in a society in which there are competing systems there are competing systems of values?of values?

NZ’s Basic ValuesNZ’s Basic Values

PartnershipPartnership

ProtectionProtection

ParticipationParticipation

Given in the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi as discerned by the Courts and the Waitangi Tribunal

The first problemThe first problem

In a virtual community, where is the In a virtual community, where is the research?research?

Under what moral framework or Under what moral framework or consitution do we design the study?consitution do we design the study?

Partnership and AUTEC’s Partnership and AUTEC’s PrinciplesPrinciples

Research adequacyResearch adequacy

Informed and voluntary consentInformed and voluntary consent

Truthfulness and the limitation of Truthfulness and the limitation of deceptiondeception

Social and cultural sensitivitySocial and cultural sensitivity– And commitment to the principles of the And commitment to the principles of the

Treaty of WaitangiTreaty of Waitangi

Avoidance of conflict of interestAvoidance of conflict of interest

PartnershipPartnership

Informed and Voluntary consentInformed and Voluntary consent– Information dissemination over electronic Information dissemination over electronic

(graphical) environments is platform (graphical) environments is platform dependent and cannot be guaranteeddependent and cannot be guaranteed

– Representations of selection criteria are self Representations of selection criteria are self disclosed and generally not verifiabledisclosed and generally not verifiable

Cannot guarantee that subjects have capacity to Cannot guarantee that subjects have capacity to agree to undertake the researchagree to undertake the researchCannot guarantee that a conflict of interest exists Cannot guarantee that a conflict of interest exists in the acceptance of subjects (could be your own in the acceptance of subjects (could be your own students, and you find out later)students, and you find out later)

Much harder to engage with relevant groups (the Much harder to engage with relevant groups (the consituency for the research) in the design of consituency for the research) in the design of the studythe studyMay be harder to disseminate the findings to the May be harder to disseminate the findings to the participantsparticipantsHarder to ensure that deception doesn’t occur Harder to ensure that deception doesn’t occur (as the equivocality of the media increases, the (as the equivocality of the media increases, the message may be misconstrued)message may be misconstrued)Truthfullness in representing the research may Truthfullness in representing the research may also be in question in a virtual world, where also be in question in a virtual world, where avatars, modelled realities, icons, emoticons, avatars, modelled realities, icons, emoticons, etc. are standard communication mechanismsetc. are standard communication mechanisms

Cultural and social sensitivity is much Cultural and social sensitivity is much more difficult to create boundaries formore difficult to create boundaries for– What groups do the potential participants What groups do the potential participants

belong to?belong to?– How can you consult with these distributed How can you consult with these distributed

(global) groups to make the research more (global) groups to make the research more socially / culturally sensitive?socially / culturally sensitive?

Protection and AUTEC’s Protection and AUTEC’s PrinciplesPrinciples

Respect for rights of privacy and Respect for rights of privacy and confidentialityconfidentiality

Minimisation of riskMinimisation of risk

Truthfulness and the limitation of Truthfulness and the limitation of deceptiondeception

Avoidance of conflict of interestAvoidance of conflict of interest

Respect for the vulnerability of some Respect for the vulnerability of some participantsparticipants

ProtectionProtection

Documentation of participation will not conform Documentation of participation will not conform to standard procedureto standard procedure– Consent forms, signitures etc.Consent forms, signitures etc.

You need more procedures to cope with the You need more procedures to cope with the variety of outcomes that a more complicated variety of outcomes that a more complicated consent process might evokeconsent process might evoke– Minimisation of Risk is therefore more problematicMinimisation of Risk is therefore more problematic

Counselling services for provocative topics will Counselling services for provocative topics will not be available in the same form, provision of not be available in the same form, provision of online forms may not be acceptableonline forms may not be acceptable

Harder to ensure protection of members of Harder to ensure protection of members of vulnerable groupsvulnerable groups– Consider research of AUT teaching through Consider research of AUT teaching through

AUTonline, it requires careful proceduresAUTonline, it requires careful proceduresHarder to ensure seperation of participants and Harder to ensure seperation of participants and other members of the classother members of the classHarder to procedularise the opt out processHarder to procedularise the opt out process

Self disclosure and consent in anonymous Self disclosure and consent in anonymous settings may lead to ‘unsuitable’ settings may lead to ‘unsuitable’ participants being involvedparticipants being involved

Participation and AUTEC’s Participation and AUTEC’s PrinciplesPrinciples

Informed and voluntary consentInformed and voluntary consent

Research adequacyResearch adequacy

Truthfulness and the limitation of Truthfulness and the limitation of deceptiondeception

Respect for propertyRespect for property– Including University propertyIncluding University property– And intellectual property rightsAnd intellectual property rights

ParticipationParticipation

Using online forums as a proxy for a social or Using online forums as a proxy for a social or cultural group would most probably not be cultural group would most probably not be satisfactory – inappropriate exclusionsatisfactory – inappropriate exclusion

Already, some debate about representations Already, some debate about representations within samples of web surveys (Consider classic within samples of web surveys (Consider classic Gallup Pole error of 1948 USA election)Gallup Pole error of 1948 USA election)

Growing apathy toward online surveys, response Growing apathy toward online surveys, response rates plummeting (and telephone surveys as rates plummeting (and telephone surveys as well)well)

Research Adequacy is prone to more Research Adequacy is prone to more threatsthreats– Threats of accuracy of description of Threats of accuracy of description of

phenomena (what do you see?), therefore phenomena (what do you see?), therefore questions of empiricismquestions of empiricism

– Threats of data collectionThreats of data collectionHow could you perform an ethnographic interviewHow could you perform an ethnographic interview

– How would you measure force of effect of text and How would you measure force of effect of text and avatars?avatars?

– How natural is the dialogue through the mediating How natural is the dialogue through the mediating technology?technology?

Thank youThank you

Do you have any questions?Do you have any questions?