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Department of Sociology / ICS

Utrecht School of Economics / TKI

Researchers' Commitments and Privacy Policy


At ELSE, all information participants get during our studies is true. This implies:

  • We never deceive participants. For example, if we inform you that another participant is making a choice on which you then can react, this is indeed the case.
  • We keep our promises made to participants. For example, if we promise a certain payment, participants will indeed receive it.

In case we are responsible for a mistake that is to the disadvantage of participants, we will inform and compensate the respective participants.

We design, conduct and report our research in accordance with recognized scientific standards and ethical principles. This implies, among other things, that data collected during experiments will not contain personal data and thus will never be traced back to any specific participant. These anonymous data will typically be made available for reasons of scientific transparency and reproducibility (see below).

We stick to the terms of our privacy policy as stated below.

In case you find that during experiments we do not stick to our rules and regulations or in other ways ethical norms are violated, you can contact experiment@elseutrecht.nl or, if you wish, an independent mediator to complain about that, namely prof. dr. Ineke Maas (i.maas@uu.nl).

PARTICIPANTS DATABASE

The data in the participants database will only be used to organize scientific studies at ELSE. The data will never be given to third parties without your consent, except:

  • If necessary, to protect your rights or welfare; or
  • If required by law

We use the data for the following purposes:

  • to inform participants about current studies at ELSE (lab experiments or internet experiments) and to invite them to such studies,
  • to make a scientifically motivated selection of participants for certain studies,
  • To keep track of participation in studies at ELSE (e.g., counting no-shows).

The personal data in the participants database and the data collected during experiments are stored separately and are never linked.

Every participant can decide at any moment to unsubscribe from the participants database. Unsubscribing from the database implies that no further invitations to our studies are sent to that person.

STUDIES AT ELSE

During a study at ELSE, data are generated based on the decisions made by the participants (hereafter: “Research Data”).

Research Data do not contain personal data and are never linked to specific persons. Thus, all Research Data are anonymous.

Research Data are used to write scientific publications and to give presentations. Written publications are made publicly available.

Research Data may be made available to researchers outside Utrecht University for scientific purposes only (e.g., for replication studies). To this end, data may be deposited in trusted academic data repositories (e.g., DANS).




For questions please contact experiment@elseutrecht.nl.