Office of Human Research Ethics SOP 3201: Internet Research

Title

Office of Human Research Ethics SOP 3201: Internet Research

1. Internet Research

The vast amount of social and behavioral information potentially available on the Internet has made it an important tool for researchers wishing to study the dynamics of human interactions and their consequences in this virtual medium. Researchers can potentially collect data from widely dispersed populations at relatively low cost and in less time than similar efforts in the physical world. However, the problem of subject identification and verification can severely limit this potential. For example, researchers could unknowingly involve protected populations or decisionally impaired subjects in the research study. There are also online data integrity issues.

Internet research protocols may involve research on the topic of the internet, research collecting data over the internet, observations of human behaviors on the internet, or some combination of these aspects. In evaluating studies utilizing the internet as a research tool, the IRB should ensure that investigators have a plan for:

  • Obtaining and verifying informed consent if required, including parental permission and child assent; and
  • Maintaining the promised degree of privacy of subjects and confidentiality of information through the use of appropriate security measures; and
  • Ensuring appropriate online data collection method and data validation checks.

Contact Information

Policy Contact

Name: Kimberly Brownley
Title:  Associate Director of Policy and Initiative
Unit: Office of Human Research Ethics (OHRE)
Email: kim_brownley@med.unc.edu

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Details

Article ID: 132250
Created
Thu 4/8/21 9:27 PM
Modified
Fri 6/28/24 9:55 AM
Responsible Unit
School, Department, or other organizational unit issuing this document.
Research-IRB and Human Research Ethics
Issuing Officer
Name of the document Issuing Officer. This is the individual whose organizational authority covers the policy scope and who is primarily responsible for the policy.
Issuing Officer Title
Title of the person who is primarily responsible for issuing this policy.
Vice Chancellor
Policy Contact
Person who handles document management. Best person to contact for information about this policy. In many cases this is not the Issuing Officer. It may be the Policy Liaison, or another staff member.
Next Review
Date on which the next document review is due.
07/01/2025 12:00 AM
Last Review
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03/18/2022 12:00 AM
Last Revised
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06/02/2017 12:00 AM
Effective Date
If the date on which this document became/becomes enforceable differs from the Origination or Last Revision, this attribute reflects the date on which it is/was enforcable.
06/02/2017 12:00 AM
Origination
Date on which the original version of this document was first made official.
06/02/2017 12:00 AM
Flesch-Kincaid Reading Level
16.2