Describing Ethical Choices In Digital-Data Explorations (DECIDE) – A Toolkit

The development and application of digital technologies across psychological science are now a regular occurrence. Here, we outline how emerging issues have resulted in new ethical challenges for researchers and ethical review boards. Ethics in digital research can often be characterized as reactionary, with little consistency between studies. Not only does this put participants and researchers at risk of harm in the short term, but it may limit future opportunities if access to data is restricted. In response, we review existing ethical practices and examine gaps in resources for psychologists who engage with digital technologies. In doing so, we discuss four example dilemmas that researchers might face when working with digital data. We also present the DECIDE toolkit, which students, researchers, and ethics review boards can use to help navigate these dilemmas. Specifically, the DECIDE toolkit (i) outlines key ethical questions for psychologists to consider when engaging in digital research and (ii) offers internal review boards guidance when assessing the ethics of research adopting digital technologies and data. This approach will help psychological science continue to prosper in this area while avoiding common pitfalls.