Another skeevy research project?
http://genericresearch.livejournal.com/626.html
This journal was set up by people claiming to be university students doing a class project.
They provide no information about themselves, their course, their university, or any human subjects review process.
They claim their anonymity is to allow unbiased responses.
As a faculty member who is part of an IRB committee at my university, I know that *anyone* including students who engages in academic research involving human subjects is required to go through an IRB review. There is a pedagogical exemption for faculty who are teaching their students methodology through specific assignments which result in materials that are not published or seen outside the course. So students might design a survey, get feedback on it, and then perhaps give it to their class, etc.
This project does not strike me as one that would fit the situation, but I do not know since they give no information. They are also not providing for anonymous data collection, and they are asking for specific information without information on how the data will be handled.
The lack of specific information makes me disinclined to accept without question the claim that their work is only for a course.
They provide no informed consent information.
They do not specify legal adults only (and given that they are focusing on Supernatural fandom and Wincest, that exclusion of minors is problematic).
I would strongly suggest not taking this survey; if you do take it, I would suggest being careful about what information you provide.
ETA: genericresearch is shutting down:
We have spoken to our advisors and done the research many of you have suggested. Before receiving many of these comments, we were quite unaware of all the issues that go into surveys like these, figuring something like this would be little more than an 'amped-up' Livejournal poll. We sincerely apologize for causing anyone any trouble and will not bother anyone again until we figure out our clearance.
Though it obviously brings us no absolution, we wanted to let you all know that we really are not a malicious group, and the only reason for our continued anonymity (other than our desire for impartiality of results) was fear of what can happen when you give out your information on the Internet.
We apoloogize again, and we hope you believe us when we say it. We really didn't know.
Note: This whole post will be removed in a day or two, probably along with this journal. The original survey found here will be replaced with this same message and also eventually removed.
This journal was set up by people claiming to be university students doing a class project.
They provide no information about themselves, their course, their university, or any human subjects review process.
They claim their anonymity is to allow unbiased responses.
As a faculty member who is part of an IRB committee at my university, I know that *anyone* including students who engages in academic research involving human subjects is required to go through an IRB review. There is a pedagogical exemption for faculty who are teaching their students methodology through specific assignments which result in materials that are not published or seen outside the course. So students might design a survey, get feedback on it, and then perhaps give it to their class, etc.
This project does not strike me as one that would fit the situation, but I do not know since they give no information. They are also not providing for anonymous data collection, and they are asking for specific information without information on how the data will be handled.
The lack of specific information makes me disinclined to accept without question the claim that their work is only for a course.
They provide no informed consent information.
They do not specify legal adults only (and given that they are focusing on Supernatural fandom and Wincest, that exclusion of minors is problematic).
I would strongly suggest not taking this survey; if you do take it, I would suggest being careful about what information you provide.
ETA: genericresearch is shutting down:
We have spoken to our advisors and done the research many of you have suggested. Before receiving many of these comments, we were quite unaware of all the issues that go into surveys like these, figuring something like this would be little more than an 'amped-up' Livejournal poll. We sincerely apologize for causing anyone any trouble and will not bother anyone again until we figure out our clearance.
Though it obviously brings us no absolution, we wanted to let you all know that we really are not a malicious group, and the only reason for our continued anonymity (other than our desire for impartiality of results) was fear of what can happen when you give out your information on the Internet.
We apoloogize again, and we hope you believe us when we say it. We really didn't know.
Note: This whole post will be removed in a day or two, probably along with this journal. The original survey found here will be replaced with this same message and also eventually removed.