Use of Partial Disclosure or Deception
Research involving deception or partial disclosure may be necessary in certain cases where participants are not aware of the true purpose of the research in advance. This could involve providing false information or only revealing certain aspects of the study to participants.
For research employing these techniques, the following conditions must be met:
- The research must pose minimal risk to participants.
- Conducting the research without partial disclosure or deception must be impossible or impractical.
- A debriefing or full disclosure should be provided to participants whenever feasible.
- Participants should have the opportunity to give their consent or refusal after the project, following the debriefing.
Applications including deception or partial disclosure may not automatically require full committee review. However, if you have significant concerns about the ethical conduct related to the deception, please reach out to your REB Specialist for assistance.