When designing the survey for the Bright Side Studios project, we quickly realized that even a small anonymous questionnaire involves important ethical considerations that must be taken seriously.

 

  1. Data Minimization Principle

First of all, protecting participants’ privacy is our top priority. To strictly follow the principle of data minimization, we planned the following measures during the survey design:

  • We will not collect any personally identifiable information such as names, emails, phone numbers, or social media accounts.
  • We will not ask for specific employers or detailed industry categories.
  • The survey will be completely anonymous, with no IP addresses recorded.
  • All questions will focus only on participants’ impressions of the Bright Side Studios brand and its digital presence, without asking about sensitive personal information or subjective evaluations.

In simple terms, we will only collect the information that is necessary for our research objectives, and we will not ask, store, or record anything else. This ensures that every participant can answer freely without any concerns.

The data minimization principle is a core part of data privacy. It emphasizes collecting, storing, and processing only the minimum amount of personal data needed for a specific purpose. Limiting data collection can reduce the risk of data breaches, protect participants’ privacy, and help organizations enhance security, comply with regulations, and build trust.

 

  1. Informed Consent

Informed consent is also essential. At the beginning of the survey, we included a clear information page that explains to participants:

  • The purpose of the survey;
  • Participation is completely voluntary;
  • Participants can exit the survey at any time simply by closing the page, without needing to give any explanation.

 

  1. Information Clarity

When reviewing the survey questions, we also paid special attention to making sure participants could understand them easily. For example, we provided short explanations for technical terms like “projection mapping” and “augmented reality” to avoid confusion.

Moreover, all open-ended questions are optional, so participants do not feel pressured or uncomfortable when answering.

 

  1. Data Management

We are also very careful with data management. All collected data will be stored securely on the University of Edinburgh’s official OneDrive account, accessible only by the core project members with encryption and two-factor authentication protection.

After the research ends, all data will be securely deleted. The data will not be used for any other purposes or shared through unsafe channels.

 

  1. Limitations

Although the overall risk is low, we are aware of potential sample bias. Since the survey will mainly be distributed through social media, it might miss people who are not active online or who are unfamiliar with Bright Side Studios. We will clearly state this limitation in the final report to avoid overstating the representativeness of the results.

 

In conclusion, designing this survey made us truly realize that research ethics are not just a formality. Every small detail must be treated seriously.

 

Small Survey, Big Responsibility: Reflections on Research Ethics in Our Project / Xinyi Ding's Blog by is licensed under a