Ethical nonsense
2:02 pm on the 26th of November, 2004I can’t remember who it was but some big company gave the university money to build their nice shiny new medical building.

One of the conditions for this was that any research that the university, it’s staff, or it’s students carry out must comply with the company’s own ethical standards, which is all well and good. Until you realise what it involves and what it covers. For instance, on my course we have to do some group design projects, one of which includes asking people what they like/don’t like about their toothbrush. Before we do this though we have to hand in a 7 page application form to the Ethics Committee, prepare a plain language statement for all the respondants to read, and a consent form for them to sign. If we carry out questionnaires without this procedure then we’re supposed to not use the information.
So I have decided to put our questionnaire on the internet so that you can ignore it and not put any of your answers in the comments box.
You may also like to not add in your thoughts on what makes you decide what toothbrush to buy or how long you spend considering the options before picking one.
It would also help if you didn’t tell us what innovations you want in your toothbrush.
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