The ethical recruitment of colleagues to neuroscience research: A empirical bioethics approach

Neuroimaging and cognitive research within University laboratories often relies on staff and students working within these laboratories to participate in research studies, either to pilot new studies or to fill in for participants that fail to show up for their appointment, potentially costing lab groups significant research dollars for unused neuroimaging appointments. Staff and students have reported feeling pressured to participate in studies that collect very personal information by work colleagues and fellow students, that they may not have been aware of when asked, and which may have resulted in them giving false information, undermining the scientific legitimacy of the results. Despite being a common practice within neuroscience laboratories, little is known about the extent of this practice, the perception of coercion or threat to privacy that occurs, or the impact that it has on uninformed participants or the data collected. This exploratory project, the first of its kind globally, will employ survey and open-ended questions to examine what have been people’s experiences in participating in neuroscience research in the workplace. Findings from this study will be used to develop ethical guidelines for conducting neuroimaging or cognitive research in the workplace and recruiting work colleagues.