Protection of Human Subjects

In most instances, survey research requires human participation and the self-report of opinions, facts, behaviors, and/or experiences. Some survey research also requires the collection of physiological samples. It may also involve the use of administrative data if the researcher has access to Social Security records, health records, military service information, and the like. Past abuses of human research participants have led to the development of a set of ethical guidelines to which researchers must adhere in order to protect human subjects from physical, mental, and emotional harm.