B04 - Deception, Lies, and Fake News: Discussing the Unintended Consequences of Online Research

Research that involves deception is often controversial, ostensibly contrary to the basic principles of the Belmont Report, though also a valuable source of data. Online research has enabled researchers to deceive subjects en masse, often with very little interaction and little, if any, opportunity to debrief subjects and inform them of the deception. This session will include a discussion of the ethical challenges of online deception research and where the boundaries of responsibility lie. What, if any, limits should there be on research conducted online using deception? What topics are okay for researchers to post deceptive information about, and how far and how long can they deceive subjects? Do researchers have obligations to prevent subjects from spreading false information after their participation? Should researchers inform and debrief individuals from whom they never collect data? Before attending this session, attendees should have an understanding of the revised Common Rule including the criteria for approval, waivers and alterations of informed consent, and definitions from DHHS regulations, as well as a foundation in human research protections ethics and principles.