Collecting “Hidden” Information: Ethical Considerations for Health Survey Research

Internet-delivered surveys regarding public health and health education issues inherently raise ethical issues regarding anonymity, privacy, the informed consent process, and the security of collected data. Within recent years internet connectivity has moved from desktop computers to a range of devices including mobile laptops, tablet computers, and 'smart' phones; providing participants in internet-delivered studies many options regarding the time, place, and device used to access a survey. Understanding how participants access a survey has ramifications for the study design. While self-report items could assess how participants access a study, individuals may not readily know technological specifications of their devices and self-report bias must be considered. As an alternative, commercial survey software programs include a question type that can collect a participant's browser type, browser version, operating system type, screen resolution, flash version, java support number, and user agent information. This type of question collects unbiased technological information about the device used to access a study, but is embedded in a survey, is hidden from the view of the participant, and at this time, no option is available to show this item to participants; inherently raising additional ethical considerations. The purposes of this presentation are to 1) discuss Dillman's best practices for internet survey design, 2) address benefits of understanding which technological devices are used by participants, and 3) provide strategies for communicating with an IRB and with participants about collecting 'hidden' information. The strategies that will be addressed have been approved by the IRB at the presenters' home institution.