Thread by @albanvillamil

It's time to live-tweet my own talk 💪🏼 Let's nerd out over some #userresearch #ethics 🤓

#UXRConfAnywhere

I start my #UXRConfAnywhere talk on #userresearch #ethics with the second biggest fuck up I've ever made as a researcher (don't ask what was Number 1):

I exposed a participant's HIV status with a calendar pop-up

When we talk about #design #ethics, we rarely discuss how easily #userresearch can cause harm (if anything, research is the solution and never the problem) #UXRConfAnywhere

And that's because when people talk about research ethics, they tend to focus on the major violations--these historical moments that were so disturbing that we developed ethical codes and policies to prevent something similar from ever happening again #UXRConfAnywhere

But using examples like the Nazi experiments and the Tuskegee Syphilis Study as benchmarks for what we do every day as #userresearch practitioners seduces researchers into thinking that if we avoid these major violations then our work is ethical #UXRConfAnywhere

But here's the thing: With technological advances, #userresearch is faster, wider flung, and more invasive than ever. We can track an individual's behavior across devices and see into the most intimate details of their lives from the comfort of our offices #UXRConfAnywhere

These developments mean that we as #userresearch practitioners have even more opportunities to violate the ethical codes developed by researchers who came before us. We have to be vigilant and meticulous.

"Ethics are in the details" #UXRConfAnywhere

Here's an example of a tool I created that helps #userresearch practitioners estimate the amount of harm elements of their research plan expose participants to #UXRConfAnywhere

Download: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d…