Ethics policies, guidelines, and permissions

You will need written documentation from the executive level of the organization. It should:

• describe specific permissions for:
  • using the organization's systems and resources
  • accessing private information (e.g., non-public contact lists, proprietary information, and private files)
• clarify what recruitment or other research tasks the organization will perform on the researcher's behalf (e.g., distribution of initial invitation or poster, collection of paper surveys)

You may be asked to sign a confidentiality agreement in order to access non-public lists and data.

In Canada, public and private organizations have legislated privacy protection and confidentiality responsibilities toward individual employees, volunteers, students and clients. The default is to not identify the source organization in publication. This provides a layer of confidentiality for participants as individuals and members of a group.

If you want to identify a host organization in publication, you should seek this approval at the same time you request support for research and access for recruitment. Your request to identify should be based on research design, and should offer additional privacy protections through data handling and reporting techniques.

If you are recruiting participants from an organization that will be identified in publication, you must disclose that information during the consent process.

No, if you can recruit participants outside the organization's premises or systems, and all data-gathering activities will take place off-site. Examples of recruiting outside of the organization's premises include:

• hanging a poster up in the coffee shop across the street
• advertising in print or other media
• e-mailing from a public list

If prospective participants qualify for recruitment because of their employment or service relationship with an organization, they should be informed whether or not the organization:

• has been made aware of the research
• supports the research

In situations involving critical research, prospective participants should be reminded to review their contractual responsibilities to the organization so they understand and are aware of any risks for potential harm to occur if their participation in the research were to become known by the organization.