Question about rights and wrongs of researchers using WP .

Post Reply New Topic

Ok I pass through here for a while and get an interest and wander off for a while. Apologies but you know how this goes with interests. I like chatting to people with a similar mindset, and , just chatting I guess. I'm trying to write novel and I need a break.

I have no problem in a researcher coming here and asking for help with their studies. As long as it's all up front. There's loads of able , lateral minds here and if we choose to help them we do. That seems a respectful relationship both ways.

What if a whole bunch of cognitive scientists decide hey , WP is the best resource on the planet for testing AS and they start figuring tests that require us not to know they are tests. That I find a bit demeaning. I don't come here to be a lab rat for the kind of folk like some guy who won't employ me because I've got AS and wouldn't even answer my Emails anymore after I told him I had AS.

Now you know me, I have mild sociopathic tendencies and I see evolution as a level playing field. So is it right :

a) Covert research is carried out on us?

b) Whilst I am around I have some fun with these guys- is that Ok with you?

Meme.

If researchers are using WP to get their results, I'd say that's a good thing. Who ever would have thought to ask autistic people to gain knowledge about them? That's genius in my book.

From a scientific point of view it isn't very good. The evidence is largely anecdotal and it is rare to have two people with the same severity of every symptom. You'd also have to factor in co-morbid conditions. Unless you were explicitly researching autism, you couldn't accurately research autism.

I think it's great that they come here and openly ask our help, and we do that of our own free will. I help out where I can because like doing stuff like this.

But what if they are carrying out covert testing without prior informing us they were doing so?

What if there's a whole bunch of them figuring the latest therapy craze that probably will go the way of most other crazes? Shouldn't we be include din some of the decision making.

I think it would be more ethical and respectful to come into a social area designed by us for us and "say hey guys would you mind taking part in a few tests?" I would go, "no, not at all, or "no I don't want to do that, thank you." That is choice and respect both ways.

As someone who has had to do their fair share of academic grade research, I can tell you that WrongPlanet is not a valid place for researchers to mine data....at least not directly.

They may certainly use WrongPlanet for information leads, however any individual which contributes to the research would actually have to be determined to be capable of supplying reliable data, usually through some type of controlled re-evaluation.

It's a similar thing with Wikipedia. It's an academic sin to cite from wikipedia, however most wikipedia articles contain citations which allow researchers and individuals to follow an information lead and look up the source, which they may cite if it proves to be valid.

I always try to find the original source of citations when doing research. Frequently researchers will cite other researchers indirectly. For example, they will cite a researcher citing the original source. This is incredibly bad practice because it causes the information to get muddled.

What if it was something like the Bohr Institute and they were doing a gaze aversion test using Avatars to test responses?

Even then, I'm not a huge fan. This is a place where we hang out and feel 'normal' for once. Once someone comes in and starts trying to research us, it's hard not to feel like a patient..

Also, many do not say exactly what their research is and where it is likely to be published; it's as if it is presumed that we would not understand such matters, when in fact many of us hold degrees and we are all as intelligent as the general poplace.

But as you say, at least it's upfront and you can choose whether or not to participate in those threads.

Last edited by Lene on 06 Jul 2011, 3:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.

So like can I have some fun please?

What do you mean by fun?

It brings out I dunno, like strong hunting instinct. I won't be rude or demean them or nothing like that, a bit challenging maybe.

Last edited by memesplice on 06 Jul 2011, 3:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.

^^^ THIS, you could never publish something based on data from WP

well; i dont mind researchers starting specific treads here or asking for help in an off-site/email survey; but if they try to get information by just reading around; i hope they are treating wp like wikipedia: correct in essence, but to be reviewed thoroughly and taken with a little grain of salt...

Set them some puzzles.

I don't think you can generate valid, publishable data that way. There are no controls. There's nothing but a bunch of posts that have unverifiable profile labels attached to them.

I think researchers could come here to look for correlations to see if it is worthwhile to pursue research with documented cases of Autism, but as far as actual science, nothing specific here can be used, because there is no scientific documentation of Autism for anyone visiting the site.

I have seen bloggers on other sites reference Wrong Planet Surveys, usually with the disclaimer that this is not a scientific survey.

Normally, though they are funded through resources that set research priorities for them, like Autism Speaks. But who knows, maybe Autism Speaks and other organizational representatives may come here looking for new ideas for research.

I've been visiting regularly for about 7 months, and I haven't seen any evidence that anyone is asking serious questions for research, except for a couple of college students that asked for input, and asked for permission to quote them, but it was mostly opinion type issues; not much scientific purpose that I could see.

There are the people that come through to make fun of autistic people, but it is usually pretty obvious what they are up to.

Has anyone ever suspected that a researcher was among the members here, purposely hiding their identity? Maybe some are noticing something I'm not.

Ahogday

I'm just saying "what if" , not trying to cause paranoia . Leave the tracking to me and I'll deal with them quietly.

Now the question is it ethical for me to prevent them doing covert research?

Check the title of this conference- Man If someone calls me a pathological illness that gets my back right up and then I get this instinct ... can't help it. I got issues.

http://www.interacting-minds.net/Sted/C ... ER9TH.html

Last edited by memesplice on 06 Jul 2011, 3:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.