In mid-July 2020, the social media site Twitter had over 100 of its most prominent user accounts start to tweet requests to send Bitcoin to specified Bitcoin wallets. The requests promised that the Bitcoin senders would receive their money back doubled, as a gesture of charity amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The attack appears to have been carried…

Research exploring the literacy practices of diverse participants is integral to developing our understanding of literacy. Diverse groups of participants, for example participants with mental health conditions, bring specific ethical considerations and methodological challenges. This paper presents the use of Skype to research literacy practices…

Confidentiality represents a core principle of research ethics and forms a standard practice in social research. However, what should a researcher do if they learn about illegal activities or harm during the research process? Few systematic studies consider researchers' attitudes and reactions in such situations. This paper analyzes this issue on…

It is particularly important to identify and address issues of fairness and equity in educational contexts as academic performance can have large impacts on the types of opportunities that are made available to students. While it is always the hope that educators approach student assessment with these issues in mind, there are a number of factors…

A variety of factors are associated with the likelihood of reporting guns at school; however, mixed empirical findings hinder our ability to inform policies to reduce school violence. Additionally, many of the established factors are difficult to change over time, and limited attention has been devoted to more malleable factors such as anonymous…

In this article I respond to the tendency of the law to approach 'the public interest' as a legal test, thereby drawing the criticism that this narrow notion of what purports to be in the "public" interest is wholly disconnected from the views of actual publics, and lacks social legitimacy. On the other hand, to simply extrapolate…

This article explores the impact of sexual harassment on one teacher--the paper's author and, in doing so, opens up conversations about the micro-realities of gendered harassment in educational institutions. By using autoethnography as a method of inquiry and writing from the unique perspective of the survivor-researcher, the author sheds light on…

Background: Randomised trials have been on the rise in social policy over the last decade and a half, particularly in areas working with young people and vulnerable adults. Informed consent is an important principle for ethics committees governing research conducted by universities. Aims and objectives: We consider the arguments for and against…

Online teaching of university courses to a large number of students is a major challenge in both its execution and evaluation. The proposed model for solving the logistical issues of these courses is based on using the Wiki tool in the Blackboard learning management system (LMS) to facilitate the submission and evaluation of student essays. The…

Use of force by police are gaining deserved attention and scrutiny. Citizens wonder if police use of force is always proportional and necessary. Even though police organizations routinely train officers on proper use of force, how can the public know if use of force policies and training procedures adequately address use of force? With this…

The COVID-19 pandemic has fast-tracked the development of digital applications and inspired everyone to adapt to the technologies to curb the spread of outbreak. As this crisis intensifies, the rapid usage of digital devices and apps has echoed the serious concerns about civil liberties, privacy, and data protection. Considering the situation,…

The primary purpose of Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) is to protect the rights and welfare of human research participants. Evaluation and measurement of how IRBs satisfy this purpose and other important goals are open questions that demand empirical research. Research on IRBs, and the Human Research Protection Programs (HRPPs) of which they…

Secrets play a powerful role in human social relationships. Here, we examine the developmental trajectory of 3- to 10-year-old children's (N = 630) expectations about (a) how relationships impact whether people will keep secrets, and (b) how relationships are impacted when a confidee keeps versus tells a confider's secret. Sophisticated…

This article outlines a personal Journey Line Narrative exercise aimed at enhancing leader authenticity and effectiveness by asking students to "look back" and identify their core values, as well as the formative experiences that helped solidify those values. The Journey Line Narrative encourages reflection and self-awareness by asking…

Clinical trials must address a number of laws, regulations, and other sources of requirements when communicating privacy and confidentiality protections to potential participants. This article outlines relevant requirements from Common Rule regulations, Food and Drug Administration regulations, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act…