2.5 Ensuring no harm
Another key principle of the ICC/ESOMAR Code is that the rights of research participants as private
individuals must be respected and they must not be harmed or adversely affected as the direct result of
participating in market research.
Researchers should recognise that personal data stored locally on a participant’s mobile device is
potentially available to others should the device be stolen or used by another person. Examples include
data stored in data collection apps installed on the device, photographs that may be taken as part of an
ethnographic study and messages (by SMS or email) that may have been used to transmit data. It is
essential that participants be made aware of these risks and that researchers implement practices to
protect personal data such as data encryption, password-protecting the device or providing respondents
with instructions on how to delete all personal information at the conclusion of the research.
Unlike most other research methods, mobile research participants may incur costs as a consequence of
participating in research. While specific costs will vary substantially by country and service provider, they
can include charges for data downloads, online access, text messaging, data plan overages, roaming
charges and standard telephone charges. If possible, the researcher should design the study so that
participants incur no cost. If this is not possible, the researcher must be prepared to offer compensation.
Where mobile participants are added to a panel or sampling database the issue of cost and compensation
should be agreed to at the “sign up” stage.
Researchers should also inform participants prior to installing or activating apps that may degrade battery
life. The researcher must take all reasonable precautions to ensure that respondents are not harmed as a
direct result of participating in research. Some mobile research methods involve asking participants to go to
specific places or perform specific tasks. In such instances researchers should caution participants against
doing anything that might put them at risk or break the law. Examples include warning participants not to
text or otherwise interact with their mobile device while driving or taking photos in places or situations
where this is prohibited.
When the research design involves calling mobile phones researchers may sometimes contact potential
respondents who are engaged in an activity or in a setting not normally encountered in fixed-line calling.
This might include driving a vehicle, operating machinery, walking in a public space, or when the caller is in
another country/time zone. The researcher should confirm whether the potential respondent is in a
situation where it is legal, safe and convenient to take the call. If the researcher does not receive
confirmation, then the call should be terminated while allowing the possibility of making further attempts at
another time.
Furthermore, a researcher might contact a potential respondent who is engaged in an activity or in a work
or social situation where others may overhear the call and confidentiality is compromised. Since a
respondent could be reached in a public or semi-private space, the researcher must consider the nature of
the research content in light of the possibility that the respondent might be overheard and personal
information or behaviour inadvertently disclosed or responses modified on account of the respondent’s
situation. If appropriate, the call should be rescheduled to another time or location when confidentiality will
not to be compromised.
Finally, researchers must remain mindful of concerns about privacy and intrusion and politely terminate the
call if it becomes apparent that the recipient is not in a position or does not wish to take the call, is not
competent, or is a child (unless the researcher receives permission from an appropriate adult to proceed
with the call). If the respondent is a child, the researcher must not go further with the interview unless
permission is obtained from a parent or legal guardian to invite a child to participate in research.
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2.6 Children
Researchers must take special ca