Bad research and fandom: Surveyfail
Sep. 2nd, 2009 11:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
xthe10thdoctorTaken from ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
deadlychameleon
Bad research and fandom: Surveyfail
In regards to surveyfail: http://www.fanhistory.com/wiki/SurveyFa
I called the Boston University IRB office. The direct approach works.
They've gotten a lot of emails regarding Dr. Ogas. He is no longer in any way affiliated with Boston University, except as a recent graduate. They have asked him to stop using his official Boston University email address in connection with this project, or his website. He is officially on his own, and this project is NOT IRB APPROVED.
That is the official status as stated by the Boston University IRB office.
The problem with this is threefold:
1. The researcher has no expertise in the area he is researching, nor has he recruited anyone to give him guidance.
2. The researcher has substantial profit motivation to produce work in this area (book contract with Penguin) which may lead to unethical conduct/a tendency to misrepresent his results.
3. The research is in no way overseen by any external body which can examine it for potential unethical conduct.
In addition to all of these, the researchers have now alienated their participant population, who are now very likely to become unreliable participants.
The only way to salvage the study at this point, I believe, would be for them to change it to an observational one.
ETA: if you want to share, please repost with attribution, that way people don't have to click through to get the information. If people need to contact me, they're certainly free to do so, but I'd like the discussion to spread out.
Also, all comments here are based on the information I had at the time of posting - if it turns out to be inaccurate, my deepest apologies. My statements regarding the problems with this research are based on my personal opinions, and should be taken as such.
ETA 2: I need to do other things for awhile, so I apologize if comments go unanswered. I should add that the IRB stated they contacted Dr. Ogas, and confirmed that this was indeed his project (they also gave him some basic methodological suggestions, despite the fact that he's no longer affiliated). They claim he's been very receptive to their suggestions. I say this just to confirm that YES THIS IS HIS PROJECT, and probably not a case of stolen identity.
ETA 3: Oh look who just f-locked his entries. Anyone with screencaps? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
ETA 4: Hopefully the last ETA I'm going to need to make.
I don't even know offhand where the line between unethical and illegal begins here, because they're so far past anything I'd ever do.
To start with:
1. Lack of proper anonymity/privacy protections for participants potentially admitting to illegal activity.
2. Lack of proper anonymity/privacy protections for participants potentially admitting to things that could negatively impact them at work and in their communities were they to become known.
3. Lack of any kind of age statement - this is methods 101 people, you always ask if a person is over 18, otherwise you need parental consent for any research study.
4. Lack of ANY kind of informed consent. No statement that you may withdraw from the research at any time. No statement saying what the research will be used for. No statement of risk vs. benefit. No statement regarding deception. No statement giving the affiliations of the researchers.
This is BAD RESEARCH, not to belabor the point. As one commenter pointed out, it's one thing when it's a survey about ice cream flavors. But the risk level here is fairly high. It's possible for someone to lose their job were this information to become public and identified with a given person.
deadlychameleon Bad research and fandom: Surveyfail
In regards to surveyfail: http://www.fanhistory.com/wiki/SurveyFa
I called the Boston University IRB office. The direct approach works.
They've gotten a lot of emails regarding Dr. Ogas. He is no longer in any way affiliated with Boston University, except as a recent graduate. They have asked him to stop using his official Boston University email address in connection with this project, or his website. He is officially on his own, and this project is NOT IRB APPROVED.
That is the official status as stated by the Boston University IRB office.
The problem with this is threefold:
1. The researcher has no expertise in the area he is researching, nor has he recruited anyone to give him guidance.
2. The researcher has substantial profit motivation to produce work in this area (book contract with Penguin) which may lead to unethical conduct/a tendency to misrepresent his results.
3. The research is in no way overseen by any external body which can examine it for potential unethical conduct.
In addition to all of these, the researchers have now alienated their participant population, who are now very likely to become unreliable participants.
The only way to salvage the study at this point, I believe, would be for them to change it to an observational one.
ETA: if you want to share, please repost with attribution, that way people don't have to click through to get the information. If people need to contact me, they're certainly free to do so, but I'd like the discussion to spread out.
Also, all comments here are based on the information I had at the time of posting - if it turns out to be inaccurate, my deepest apologies. My statements regarding the problems with this research are based on my personal opinions, and should be taken as such.
ETA 2: I need to do other things for awhile, so I apologize if comments go unanswered. I should add that the IRB stated they contacted Dr. Ogas, and confirmed that this was indeed his project (they also gave him some basic methodological suggestions, despite the fact that he's no longer affiliated). They claim he's been very receptive to their suggestions. I say this just to confirm that YES THIS IS HIS PROJECT, and probably not a case of stolen identity.
ETA 3: Oh look who just f-locked his entries. Anyone with screencaps? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
ETA 4: Hopefully the last ETA I'm going to need to make.
I don't even know offhand where the line between unethical and illegal begins here, because they're so far past anything I'd ever do.
To start with:
1. Lack of proper anonymity/privacy protections for participants potentially admitting to illegal activity.
2. Lack of proper anonymity/privacy protections for participants potentially admitting to things that could negatively impact them at work and in their communities were they to become known.
3. Lack of any kind of age statement - this is methods 101 people, you always ask if a person is over 18, otherwise you need parental consent for any research study.
4. Lack of ANY kind of informed consent. No statement that you may withdraw from the research at any time. No statement saying what the research will be used for. No statement of risk vs. benefit. No statement regarding deception. No statement giving the affiliations of the researchers.
This is BAD RESEARCH, not to belabor the point. As one commenter pointed out, it's one thing when it's a survey about ice cream flavors. But the risk level here is fairly high. It's possible for someone to lose their job were this information to become public and identified with a given person.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2009-09-03 03:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-03 08:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-03 01:44 pm (UTC)