Digital Research and Artificial Intelligence

This policy covers online, telephone, and platform research; digital questionnaires and data; and AI-assisted transcription, translation, coding, analysis, summarization, writing, visualization, and programming.

• Legitimate and disclosed purpose.
• Minimum necessary data.
• Tools proportionate to sensitivity.
• Human verification of inputs and outputs.
• Disclosure of material automation.
• Testing for bias, error, and uncertainty.
• Professional responsibility remains with the researcher.

• Identify the organization, purpose, and consent.
• Use proportionate duplicate and bot controls.
• Assess internet, device, and digital-coverage bias.
• Design for mobile use and accessibility.
• Collect device or location data only where necessary.
• Offer alternatives where digital modes exclude important groups.

Public availability does not make every use lawful or ethical. Platform terms, user expectations, sensitivity, identifiability, and harm are assessed. Names, images, or individual posts are not republished merely because they are accessible.

• Identifying or restricted datasets.
• Participant names and contact details.
• Sensitive recordings or images.
• Complaints and safeguarding disclosures.
• Confidential drafts or commissioner documents.
• Access keys and passwords.
• Data or instruments without processing rights.

• Provider retention and duration.
• Whether inputs are used for training.
• Processing locations and subprocessors.
• Deletion and export controls.
• Encryption, permissions, and logs.
• Contract and intellectual-property terms.
• Ability to discontinue or replace the service.

• Match quotations and references to sources.
• Recalculate figures.
• Test code against known cases.
• Review translation and terminology.
• Measure classification accuracy through human validation.
• Assess bias across languages and groups.
• Record material version and settings.

Digital or AI use is disclosed where it materially affects collection, coding, analysis, or published content. Routine spelling assistance need not be listed, but readers receive what they need to evaluate methodological integrity.

Generated text is not presented as participant testimony, a real quotation, or field evidence. Synthetic data are distinguished from real data and are not used to inflate samples or fill values without valid method and disclosure.

An automated tool alone does not determine participant acceptance or exclusion, accuse a researcher, reject a complaint, or expose identity. Human review and an explainable, reviewable decision are required.

Inappropriate upload, leakage, identifying output, or unauthorized tool use is reported, contained, assessed, deleted where possible, and used to improve controls.

Tools and terms change rapidly. Approved-tool lists, contracts, risk, and performance are reviewed; previous approval is not treated as permanent.