Welcome to IFN591 Week 4:
Research Ethics
Agenda
1. Assignment 1
presentation &
special guests
2. Introduction to ethical
research conduct
3. Summary and next
steps
Bernd Ploderer and Tara Capel
IFN591 Principles Of User Experience
We will start soon. While you’re
waiting…
1. Post any questions you may
have in the CHAT window Assignment Presentation
Special guests: Serene Mishteler & Corey McCormick
Assignment 1: User Experience Research Proposal
(review on Canvas)
Weight
Assessment Type
30%
Presentation
The aim of this assessment is to prepare a detailed proposal to study
people and technologies in a real-world context. Based on established
user experience methods and theories, the proposal will contain a
research plan, research instruments (e.g., interview guide, diary
instructions), and ethics documents (participant information sheet,
consent form). The proposal will be presented during the workshop.
Description
Relates to unit learning
outcomes
Individual/group
Due date (indicative)
1, 4, 5
Group
Week 5
Assignment Project: Digital Self-care in Everyday Life
Background:
Digital self-care is the intersection of digital technologies and self-care:
“purposeful engagement with digital technologies that promotes holistic
health and well-being of the self”
Real-world partners: Berni Cooper and Nicole Border,
QUT Student Services and Wellbeing
Aim: To better understand self-care practices with digital technologies and
to explore opportunities for digital technology design.
Our diversity target ofaudience student experiences, are QUT students. including: We are interested in the full
• Members of groups such as student clubs, sports teams, eSports,
faith groups, pride groups
• Culturally and linguistically diverse students, exchange students,
and international students
• Students with significant commitments, e.g., care commitments
(parents, or caring for a family member) or professional
commitments (e.g., athletes, students who work full-time)
• Students transitioning in or out of university like, e.g., students in
their first year/last year, mature age students
Assessment Tasks:
1. Prepare a UX research proposal
2. Conduct qualitative research to better
understand QUT students’
experiences with digital self-care
practices in their everyday life and to
identify interesting design
opportunities.
3. Use the findings as inspiration to redesign the QUT Wellbeing App.
UX Research Methods
Say
Do Make
– Interview
– Focus group
– Observation
– Contextual inquiry
– Usability testing
– Diary
– Card sorting
– Collage
– Mapping
– Photo elicitation
Presentation Format
Timing (8 minutes!)
Introduction: project topic, aim and
importance of the project (1 minute)
Participants: Target group and recruitment
plan (0.5 minutes)
Methods: overview of your say, do, and make
methods, present your instruments and
materials (4 minutes)
Ethics documents: consent form, information
sheet, and recruitment message (2 minutes)
Declaration: confirm that you are aware of
your responsibilities (0.5 minutes)
Respond to questions and take note of the
feedback to refine your proposal for
assessment task 2
Notes
Review Presentation Template on Canvas
Include the declaration & academic honesty
statement
Present your introduction and participants, but
the rest will be more like a conversation
Print your instruments, materials, and ethics
documents and lay them out on the table so that
we can review them in detail (screenshare via
zoom)
The aim of the presentation is to assess your
work, but also to check you are ready for
assignment 2, and to provide feedback to
improve your methods
Presentation Schedule

Check Canvas for potential updates to the schedule
Arrive on time and get set up before your presentation!

Collaborative Project
Special guests: Serene Mishteler & Corey
McCormick
Aims:
• Create a research partnership between
students, teaching team, and QUT Wellbeing
• Continue this partnership with interested
students by:
• collaborate with QUT Student Services and
Wellbeing to follow up on the insights from
the assignment research
• Explore follow-up research
https://www.pexels.com/photo/high-angle-shot-of-group-of-professionals-3183172/
Assignment Clinic
Review your draft proposal with another team
1. Is the aim clear and its importance stated?
2. What is your target group?
1. How will you find participants?
2. How will you invite them to your study?
3. What methods did you choose and why?
• Do they cover each area: ‘say’, ’do’, and ‘make’?
• Say methods: do you have an interview guide ready to learn about
what people have to say?
• Do methods: can you show us your plan and materials for a usability
test or in-person observation?
• Make methods: what method did you choose? What materials and
instructions did you prepare? What follow-up questions will you
ask?
• How will your say, do, and make methods be integrated?
Continue working on your assignment
Let us know if we can help with questions or
by reviewing parts of your assignment
Short break – have a stretch 🙂
•Stand up and stretch your arms out behind you.
•Clasp your hands together and gently lift your arms.
•You should feel your shoulders and chest stretching.
•Hold both arms above your head.
•Link your hands with your palms facing upwards.
•Reach as high as possible.
•You should feel your shoulders stretching.
https://www.bupa.co.uk/newsroom/ourviews/desk-stretches
Introduction to ethical
research conduct
For additional information and training see Canvas –
Modules – Week 4
Ethical Questions & Principles
Can you invite people who are homeless
to study how they perceive the usability
of the wellbeing app?
If you see an online discussion on Reddit
about the wellbeing app, can you use that
information for your study?
Is it ok to video-record how students and
staff on campus practice self-care?
Modified, from Amy Bruckman. 2014. Research Ethics and HCI. In Ways of Knowing
in HCI, Judith S. Olson and Wendy A. Kellogg (Eds.). Springer New York, p. 449.
The issue: the need to protect
participants
Universal principles:
• Scientific value
• Do no harm
• Voluntary participation
• Informed consent
• Right to privacy
• Trust
University Human Research Ethics Committee
(UHREC)
The UHREC reviews, approves, and monitors QUT human research to
ensure that the research is conducted ethically, in compliance with the
National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research 2007
(updated 2018).
https://www.qut.edu.au/research/why-qut/ethics-and-integrity
Your research projects are covered by a low/negligible risk unit level
ethics application for IFN591 that has been reviewed and approved by
UHREC.
• Low risk: the only foreseeable risk is one of discomfort
• Negligible risk: any foreseeable risk is no more than inconvenience
Your research projects may involve
Say methods: (group) interviews
Do methods: observation, contextual inquiry
Make methods: diary, photo elicitation, card
sorting, collages, mapping, cultural probes
Usability and User Experience evaluations of
digital technologies and prototypes
Audio or video recording
Photographs of people
Say
Do Make
Your projects may not include:
Obtaining information that can identify individuals or
organisations (either directly or indirectly) without the
consent of the people providing the information
Collecting data of a sensitive nature
Undertaking research that may put participants at risk or
cause harm to a person, e.g. physical, psychological or
economic harm
Reporting results through publication or public presentation
in a manner that may identify people, either directly or
indirectly
Research on illegal activity or likely to discover illegal activity
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, groups,
communities or issues
Women who are pregnant, and/or research involving the
human fetus
Clinical research, an innovation in clinical practice, a clinical
trial or the application of randomised trial methods in other
fields of research
People with a cognitive impairment either temporary or
permanent, an intellectual disability or a mental illness
People highly dependent on medical care
Your projects may not include:
Use of personal (identifiable) information in medical
research, or personal health information, including tissue
samples, without specific consent from the donor
Human genetic studies or human stem cell studies
Participants who may be unable to provide consent
Exposing people to ionising radiation
Children or young people aged <18 years old
Exposing people to physically invasive procedures
Participants in an unequal relationship (either now, or
possibly in the future)
Exposing participants to civil, criminal or other proceedings
Exposing participants to economic loss, reduced
employability or damage to their reputation
Inducements to potential participants that could be coercive
Limited disclosure of relevant information to research
participants
You are representing QUT
Treat others with respect and courtesy
Communicate professionally
Comply with health and safety requirements
Research must be conducted honestly, ethically and with integrity
Recruitment
Use approved materials only and these include:
• Consent form
• Participant information sheet
• Recruitment email
Use the templates provided on Canvas and tailor
them to your project.
We will review and approve your materials
during your assignment 1 presentation.
Respect the right of individuals not to
participate in research
Informed consent
Respect the dignity of participants, including their
rights, beliefs, perceptions, customs, and cultural
heritage
Inform participants of the nature and purpose of the
research
Seek voluntary informed consent from participants
Individuals can withdraw from research at any time
without explanation and without negative
consequences
Inform participants of any risk
Consent is an ongoing process (not just signing a form)
The Participant Information Sheet and Consent form
is provided to the participant and the signed consent
form is retained for 15 years
Sample consent form, based on the template
What if something goes wrong?
What if somebody becomes upset?
What if the project doesn’t go as planned?
Immediately advise me if:
• Any unforeseen developments or events occur – these might affect the continued ethical
acceptability of the project
• Any complaints are made, or expressions of concern raised
• You think the project needs to be suspended or modified for any reason e.g. the risks to
participants have changed
• A participant can no longer be involved because you think the research may harm them
Data management
Responsible conduct of research means you must keep your data protected
• Protect any personal information that you acquire
• Respect the confidentiality of the individual or groups of people in the conduct and reporting of their
research
• Anonymize data by replacing names with anonymous identifiers (e.g., participant 1), by blurring faces in
images, and by changing contextual information (e.g., anonymize name of hospitality venue)
• Submit only genuine findings or results of their research
• Records
• Access to the data is limited to you and the teaching team
• Location of electronic data storage: local computer or QUT u Drive (not Google Drive)
• Date electronic data will be retained min 5 years after the project completed
Changes to the project
Projects must be conducted as approved
Only approved documents (participant information sheet, consent
forms, recruitment email)
Approval must be obtained before any variation to the project occurs
At the end of assignment 2
1) Submit signed consent forms (PDF) via a separate Canvas link
2) Submit anonymized study data through assignment appendix via
Canvas
• e.g., transcripts, field notes, photos, diaries completed, link interview
recordings
• Add a cover sheet that provides a table of contents
No marks will be released without submission of this data
Questions?
Further information
Ethics and integrity https://www.qut.edu.au/research/why-qut/ethics-and-integrity
Online research ethics training https://Canvas.qut.edu.au/webapps/Canvas/execute/
courseMain?course_id=_147725_1
Activity 1: Customize ethics documents for your project
(10 minutes, complete after workshop)
Visit Canvas– Modules – Week 4 to download templates
• consent form
• participant information sheet
• recruitment email
Update the templates: insert your personal information; update the topics and activities
planned for your assignment
Print the updated documents so that we can quickly review them during your assignment
1 presentation
You will need to wait for approval during your presentation before you can recruit
participants and start collecting data
Summary and next steps
Summary
User experience research is often the first
step in a human-centred design process, to
understand the experiences and
challenges of our target group
It is important to understand experiences
from the perspectives of your participants
(rather than from your own perspective)
Combine (triangulate) say-do-make
methods insights into to gain experiences deep and multi-faceted
An ethics application and framework is in
place to protect participants. This involves
• careful planning of your study
• Negotiating informed consent (consent
form, email)information sheet, recruitment
• Protection of identity by anonymizing
data and through separate submission
of signed consent form
Next Steps
We look forward to your assignment presentations next week:
1. Finalise your methods, instruments and ethics documents
2. Prepare and rehearse your presentation to stay within the time limit
3. Submit your presentation & signed IP agreement BEFORE your workshop
in week 5
4. Check the schedule, arrive on time and be ready to present