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How should debriefing be undertaken in web-based studies? Findings from a randomized controlled trial
Jim McCambridge1, Kypros Kypri, Amanda Wilson
1Department of Social & Environmental Health Research, LSHTM, London, London, United Kingdom. Jim.McCambridge@lshtm.ac.uk
Journal of Medical Internet Research
|November 20, 2012
Summary
Providing debriefing information via a website link, rather than in an email body, doubled access to study details. However, overall engagement with online research ethics information remains low.
Area of Science:
- Online research ethics
- Human participant research
Background:
- Internet research presents novel ethical challenges.
- Current recommendations suggest brief online debriefing with further details available upon request.
- Empirical data comparing online debriefing methods is lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate two online debriefing methods using a randomized controlled trial.
- To assess participant access to additional study information based on debriefing approach.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 11,943 participants in the Effects of Study Design and Allocation (ESDA) study.
- Two debriefing groups: Group A (information in email body with links), Group B (links to information on a website).
- Outcomes measured: link click-through rates to protocol/results and time spent on pages.
Main Results:
- Group B participants were twice as likely to access protocol and results summaries compared to Group A.
- These differences were statistically significant.
- Overall access rates were low, with only 25% of Group B accessing information; no difference in time spent on pages.
Conclusions:
- Providing debriefing information via a link on a website may increase access to detailed study information.
- This method might decrease overall engagement with debriefing content.
- Further high-quality empirical studies are needed to guide ethical evaluations in online research.
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