Ethical points when conducticing a questionnaire?

I am undertaking a questionnaire, what ethical points should I consider...


for instance confidentiality, and information security?

Ethical points when conducticing a questionnaire?
What a WONDERFUL question you asked. If you are doing a 'research study' then you do need to think about 'confidentiality' and 'information security.' For 'confidentiality' you can use a 'blind' method ... make sure that there are no 'names or numbers' attached to the questionnaire to 'identify' the person who is filling it out. Some people go so far as to give a number of different answers with only a 'check box' to indicate the answer, but that doesn't work as well as one with a question followed by space to write out the 'whole answer.'


Information security is another 'problem' ... especially with computers ... and more so if you are putting this questionnaire on a website where anyone can 'answer' the questions. You need a way to 'separate the answers' out quickly and 'remove them' to a different server with a 'strong password' where ONLY you or the people who are reading the answers can go. You also need a way to 'eliminate' those answers from people who 'come back' to do your questionnaire several times, thus 'throwing the data off' in the direction they 'want' it to go.


HOW you deal with these 'ethical questions' is up to you ... but they MUST be 'dealt with' before you can get your questionnaire 'out there' to be answered ... and keep 'hard copy files' of the 'answers' to these ethical questions ... because if you are 'questioned' ONLY the 'hard copy files' will 'count' in a court of law.
Reply:Both of those, surely, but also the form the questions take. To be truly objective, they must be worded in such a way as to allow the person to give their own answer - in legal terms, don't lead the witness