Preventing and Protecting Against Internet Research Fraud in Anonymous Web-Based Research: Protocol for the Development and Implementation of an Anonymous Web-Based Data Integrity Plan
- UNCW Author/Contributor (non-UNCW co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- April Braswell (Creator)
- James DeVita, Associate Professor, Program Coordinator for the M.Ed. in Higher Education (Creator)
- Kris Hohn (Creator)
- Institution
- The University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW )
- Web Site: http://library.uncw.edu/
Abstract: Background: Data integrity is a priority in any internet research study; it should be maintained to protect the safety and privacyof human participants and to maintain the validity and reliability of research findings. However, one noteworthy risk of web-basedresearch is fraudulent respondent activity. When investigators must utilize anonymous web-based recruitment techniques to reachhidden and expanded populations, steps should be taken to safeguard the integrity of data collected.Objective: The purpose of this paper is to present a novel protocol in the form of an anonymous web-based research dataintegrity plan (DIP) protocol that outlines steps for securing data integrity while conducting anonymous web-based data collection.Methods: In this paper, we discuss a protocol regarding the development and implementation of a specific DIP in response tofraudulent activity in an original large-scale mixed methods study launched in April 2021. Four primary steps, each with a set ofaffiliated procedures, are presented: (1) defining the risks, (2) planning research protocols, (3) securing data collection andrecruitment, and (4) determining enrollment.Results: Following the relaunch of a large-scale original study and implementation of the DIP protocol, preliminary analysesdemonstrated no fraudulent activity. A pre-post analysis is underway to evaluate the effectiveness of the DIP strategies fromFebruary 2022 through May 2023.Conclusions: Implementing the DIP protocol could save valuable research time, provides a process to examine data critically,and enables the contribution of rigorous findings to various health fields.
Preventing and Protecting Against Internet Research Fraud in Anonymous Web-Based Research: Protocol for the Development and Implementation of an Anonymous Web-Based Data Integrity Plan
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Created on 9/1/2022
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Additional Information
- Publication
- https://doi.org/10.2196/38550
- Language: English
- Date: 2022
- Keywords
- data integrity protocol, DIP, anonymous online research, research fraud, IP geolocation, steps and procedures, pre-post intervention
outcomes, online, research protocol, data privacy, validity, reliability