Ethical considerations surrounding deception and incomplete disclosure
This information is partly taken from the following source: http://cphs.berkeley.edu/deception.pdf
Under some circumstances, deception and incomplete disclosure may be valuable research methodologies. Importantly, however, their use presents special challenges to conducting ethical research.
- Deception occurs when an investigator gives false information to subjects or intentionally misleads them about some key aspect of the research. (This is sometimes referred to as “active deception.”)
- Incomplete disclosure occurs when an investigator withholds information about the specific purpose, nature, or other aspect of the research. Withholding information may or may not be considered deception.
- The subject is given a “cover story” which falsely describes the purpose of the study, but provides a feasible account of the researcher’s objective.
- The study includes a researcher’s “confederate,” an individual who poses as a participant, but whose behaviour in the study is actually part of the researcher’s experimental design.
- Covert observation, in which participants are not aware they are being studied.
- The subject is informed about the purpose of the study or a certain procedure in general terms that are true, but not detailed enough to reveal the researcher’s main or specific objective.
- The subject is informed about the purpose of study in general terms that are true, but details of the study which do not affect data collection are omitted (for example, because they are too complex to explain in terms the subject would readily understand).
- The study involves audiotaping or videotaping of subjects without their knowledge or prior consent.
Guidance for researchers and LEL regulations
Please consider carefully whether your study involves deception or incomplete disclosure.
Incomplete disclosure (without deception) is typically fine, and will not result in any special review by the LEL ethics committee.
If your study involves deception, please consider whether this is necessary for your research, and whether it has ethical implications. If so, you must indicate that your study uses deception in your ethics application. This will lead to additional scrutiny by the committee.
Please note that not telling participants that you are conducting research involving them (i.e., covert observation) is a type of deception.
Incomplete disclosure that is also deception is unlikely to pass ethical review.