[Last modified: November, 30 2024 11:39 AM]
This case study that my group focused on was the computer literacy project looking at social lives of elderly people in London. We deemed this project relatively low risk that could bring about quite a large benefit to the elderly community. The project could hopefully show increased socialization among elderly people with their increased understanding and use of the internet and computers, which would hopefully encourage more community centres to adopt classes like this and encourage more elderly people to attend them. This is a great project to show what digital literacy can do for elderly people. While we did decide it was low risk, we did identify a few things to look out for in the process and be aware of.
The first point to address is data and identity protection, especially in regards to the social diagrams created with the interlocutors. While the social diagrams are a critical part of the project, they can reveal a lot of personal information about the interlocutors, so it is important to keep the data safe on a password protected computer, encrypted flash drive, or pseudonymized. The second point to keep in mind is informed consent, especially over time. Interlocutors suffering from mental decline or dementia cannot give informed consent to be part of the project. Additionally, interlocutors may show signs of shifting mental states throughout the duration of the project, especially if it lasts a long time, so it is important to recognize if an interlocutor can no longer give informed consent for whatever reason. It is also important to be in constant contact with the community centre to continue to gain their consent and input on the boundaries of the project as it progresses. Overall, this is a low risk project but nonetheless there are a few important ethical considerations to keep in mind throughout the work. The benefits definitely outweigh the risks in this instance, and it should be clear how to remain transparent, honest, and ethical with interlocutors throughout.