PresentationPDF Available

Digital participatory research with adolescents in youth service residential care under Covid-19 containment measures - A messenger-based digital research method. ECSWR. European Conference on Social Work Research (ECSWR 2021). Bukarest, Romania, 07.05.2021.

Authors:

Abstract

Research Question In order to conduct participatory research with adolescents in residential care about their everyday needs worthy of support, originally it was planned to conduct workshops, participant observations and joint explorations of the living space as an action research approach. Covid-19 pandemic measures such as bans on entering social work facilities halted the planned collaboration. Digital survey and participation methods were sought. While some research exists on safe online counselling, a lack of literature on safe digital methods for social work research can be stated. As soon as a digital tool becomes part of a research process as a mediator and medium, all data runs via the service provider. However, research ethics as well as GDPR require a protected, anonymized handling of research data, which must not reach third parties. Which communication tools are suitable for digital participatory research with adolescents in residential care? Study design Criteria for selecting an appropriate tool for communication and data collection together with adolescents were developed. Criteria for promising youth participation included dissemination, availability, cost, technical requirements and usability, diverse data formats, expected probability of implementation and use, and especially data protection. Tools such as phone, file storage, email, messenger, post mail were then analyzed. A research method around the tool was re-designed. Findings Popular services like email, Skype, WhatsApp, Viber, and cloud services like Dropbox, etc. transmit and process unencrypted sensitive data like contacts, metadata or even the content. Disadvantages of Email (no default encryption), post mail and telephone (lack of diverse data formats and asynchrony) were found. Messengers fulfilled many criteria, however, data protection of sensitive research data has to be examined. Threema Work is a Swiss messenger, was found to fulfill criteria best and protect research data. After choosing the medium for remote participatory research, a research method was needed. Crossing boundaries of disciplinary research, we re-designed cultural probe kits from computer science into a digital messenger-based cultural probe kit as a remote method of co-creative exploration of everyday life in the residential care with the young people. This was performed in interdisciplinary collaboration between researchers from social work, computer science and service design. The young people received game-based research assignnments and transmitted their own observations, reflections and ideas about their everyday needs in residential care as narratives, photographs, pictures and ideas, using the ThreemaWork messenger. Conclusions The entry ban under Covid conditions lead to the interdicsiplinary development of a digital remote research method for social work research. A need for standard deployment of safe tools by social work research institutions (universities) was detected for communication of sensitive research data in social work with external partners. Further participatory digital research tools and suitable research methods must be developed so that digital participatory research is possible and meets the requirements for the protection of research data and the participation of the clients.
Digital participatory research with adolescents in youth service
residential care under Covid-19 containment measures
A messenger-based digital research method
Isabel Zorn, Marc Schmidt, Dennis Wilk, Janina Rösch
10th European Conference on Social Work Research ECSWR 2021.
5-7th May 2021, University of Bucharest/Romania
Content
1. Problem: no-entry bans of residential care under pandemic
measures; Data privacy in digital participatory research
2. Research Question: Participatory research methods and
transmission tool needed
3. Study design
4. Findings
5. Digital ProbeKit via messenger as participatory research
method
6. Conclusions
7. Transferability and outlook
8. References
26.09.2019
Seite 2
INTIA is a project coordinated by the TH Köln University of Applied
Sciences:
the research center Digital Technologies and Social Services (DITES)
with its areas
Social Work Media + Education (Prof. Dr. Isabel Zorn),
Computer Science and Socio-technology (Prof. Dr. Stefan Bente and
Prof. Dr. Christian Kohls)
Service-Design & Co-Creation (Prof. Birgit Mager)
cooperate with institutions of social work. Those partners work with
disadvantaged youth.
26.09.2019
Seite 3
Inclusive Development of Methods and Technologies for
Supporting Everyday Activities of Young People with Special
Needs -INTIA
The project is sponsored by the
German Federal Ministry of Education and Research
under number 13FH534SX7 .
Background: participatory research and
technology development with youth in residential
care under Covid pandemic measures
Young people are involved in exploring everyday needs. They
co-create technological support solutions for those needs.
In order to conduct participatory research with adolescents in
residential care about their everyday needs worthy of support,
originally it was planned to conduct workshops, participant
observations and joint explorations of the living space as an
action research approach.
26.09.2019
Seite 4
Digital survey and participation methods were sought.
Problem
While some research exists on safe online counselling, a
lack of literature and tools on safe digital methods for
social work research was experienced.
• (Ethical) data management ist not yet established at
universities (Palsdottir 2021, Florea/Florea 2020)
Digital research poses new issues on protecting
research participants (Mattos 2019)
Digutal data research (esp. social media) needs ethical
guidelines (Clark 2019)
As soon as a digital tool becomes part of a research
process as a mediator and medium, all data runs via the
service provider as a third party.
But:
a) research ethics as well as
26.09.2019
Seite 5
Research Question
Which communication tools are suitable for digital
participatory research with adolescents in residential
care?
26.09.2019
Seite 6
Study Design
1. Criteria for selecting an appropriate tool for
communication and data collection together with
disadvantaged adolescents were developed.
2. A research method around the tool was re-designed:
Digital ProbeKit.
26.09.2019
Seite 7
Research: Suitable communication tool für
participatory research with vulnerable groups
Criteria for promising youth
participation included:
dissemination,
availability,
cost,
technical requirements and
usability,
diverse data formats,
expected probability of
implementation and use,
and especially data protection.
26.09.2019
Seite 8
Tools were analyzed:
telephone,
file storage,
email,
messenger,
post mail.
Findings: traditional communication tools
26.09.2019
9
1. Lack of suitability were found for …
post mail (lack of ease and lack of diverse data formats)
telephone (lack of diverse data formats and asynchrony).
Findings: digital communication tools
26.09.2019
10
Popular digital services like
• e-mail,
Skype,
WhatsApp messenger,
Viber messenger,
and cloud services like Dropbox, etc.
transmit and process unencrypted sensitive data like contacts,
metadata or even the clear content.
Not suitable after GDPR,
not meeting Confidentiality requirements in social work
Not meeting ethical research requirements (anonymity etc.)
Findings: encrypted messengers
Messengers fulfilled many criteria, however, data protection of sensitive
research data had to be examined.
Result: Threema Work (Switzerland-based secure messenger) was
found to fulfill criteria best and protect research data:
Cost (costs for private Threema version – payment procedure barrier)
Dissemination (Threema not widespread),
Availability (Threema Work edition provided by research team)
technical requirements and usability (good),
diverse data formats (text, speech, photos, video, audio call, vieo call)
expected probability of implementation and use (if distributed by research
team)
Encrypted data, hardly meta data. No personal data (no telephone
number) required. Full data protection.
Full anonymity towards third parties.
26.09.2019
Seite 11
Analyses of popular messengers
Analyses Sheet
18.06.2019
Seite 12
GDPR conformity
European company
1. Messenger found.
2. Needed: participatory research method under conditions
of pandemic entry bans
After choosing the research medium for remote
participatory research, a research method was needed.
Crossing boundaries of disciplinary research, we re-
designed cultural probe kits from computer science into a
digital messenger-based cultural probe kit as a remote
method of co-creative exploration of everyday life in the
residential care with the young people.
26.09.2019
Seite 13
Digital messenger-based probe kit
26.09.2019
14
The young people
received game-based research assignments
and transmitted their own observations, reflections and ideas
about their everyday needs in residential care
as narratives, photographs, pictures and ideas,
using the ThreemaWork messenger.
Digital ProbeKit Method: exploring
adolescents needs
26.09.2019
15
Example of probe kit
26.09.2019
Seite 16
Example of probe kit
Conclusions
The entry ban under Covid conditions lead to the
interdisciplinary development of a digital remote
research method for social work research.
A need for standard deployment of safe tools by social
work research institutions (universities) was detected for
communication of sensitive research data in social work
with external partners.
Universities’ IT centers need to provide adequate tools
and information for ethical research
Further participatory digital research tools and suitable
research methods must be developed for data protecting
digital participatory research.
26.09.2019
Seite 17
Transferability and outlook
1. For further remote participation, remote workshops
were planned. Same issues arise for video
conferencing system.
2. Transfer possible for diverse participatory research
with and on vulnerable groups and privacy concerns,
especially in schools and all areas of Social Work.
3. Research institutions seem to rarely provide safe
encrypted tools for external collaboration. Dito: Social
work institutions.
4. Technical equipment in social work institutions to be
improved
26.09.2019
Seite 18
References
26.09.2019
19
Schmidt, Marc; Rösch, Janina; Zorn, Isabel: Probe Kits für partizipative User Research und Needs Assessments bei Jugendlichen in der Erziehungshilfe. In:
Hansen, C., Nürnberger, A. & Preim, B. (Hg.): Mensch und Computer 2020 -Workshopband. Unter Mitarbeit von Gesellschaft für Informatik e. V. Bonn,
Gesellschaft für Informatik e. V. Mensch und Computer Konferenz 2020. Bonn: Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V, DOI: 10.18420/muc2020-ws109-359.
Online: https://dl.gi.de/handle/20.500.12116/33567 .
European Union (2016/2017): REGULATION (EU) 2016/679 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 27 April 2016 on the
protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC
(General Data Protection Regulation). GDPR. EU. Online : https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32016R0679&from=DE#d1e1797-1-1
Florea, Diana; Florea, Silvia (2020): Big Data and the Ethical Implications of Data Privacy in Higher Education Research. In: Sustainability 12 (20), S. 8744.
DOI: 10.3390/su12208744.
forschungsdaten.info (2021): Glossar | Praxis kompakt | Forschungsdaten und Forschungsdatenmanagement. Online
https://www.forschungsdaten.info/praxis-kompakt/glossar/#c271806 , zuletzt geprüft am 06.05.2021.
Johri, Aditya; Yang, Seungwon; Vorvoreanu, Mihaela; Madhavan, Krishna (2016): Perceptions and Practices of Data Sharing in Engineering Education. In:
Advances in Engineering Education 5 (2). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0021101.s001.
Mattos, Meghan K.; Lingler, Jennifer H. (2019): Research Data Disclosure in the Digital Age. In: Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD 71 (4), S. 10891091.
DOI: 10.3233/JAD-190725.
Meyermann, Alexia; Porzelt, Maike (2014): Datenschutzrechtliche Anforderungen in der empirischen Bildungsforschung eine Handreichung. Unter
Mitarbeit von Verbund Forschungsdaten Bildung. DIPF | Leibniz-Institut für Bildungsforschung und Bildungsinformation. Frankfurt (fdb informiert). Online
verfügbar unter https://www.forschungsdaten-bildung.de/get_files.php?action=get_file&file=fdb-informiert-nr-6_v2.pdf , zuletzt geprüft am 12.08.2020.
Meyermann, Alexia; Porzelt, Maike (2014): Hinweise zur Anonymisierung von qualitativen Daten. Unter Mitarbeit von Verbund Forschungsdaten Bildung.
Frankfurt: DIPF (Verbund Forschungsdaten Bildung, 1), zuletzt geprüft am 12.08.2020.
Nebeker, Camille; Leow, Alex D.; Moore, Raeanne C. (2019): From Return of Information to Return of Value: Ethical Considerations when Sharing
Individual-Level Research Data. In: Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD 71 (4), S. 10811088. DOI: 10.3233/JAD-190589.
Palsdottir, Agusta (2021): Data literacy and management of research data a prerequisite for the sharing of research data. In: AJIM 73 (2), S. 322–341.
DOI: 10.1108/AJIM-04-2020-0110.
Ross, Michael W.; Iguchi, Martin Y.; Panicker, Sangeeta (2018): Ethical aspects of data sharing and research participant protections. In: The American
psychologist 73 (2), S. 138145. DOI: 10.1037/amp0000240.
Samuel, Gabrielle; Derrick, Gemma E.; van Leeuwen, Thed (2019): The Ethics Ecosystem: Personal Ethics, Network Governance and Regulating Actors
Governing the Use of Social Media Research Data. In: Minerva 57 (3), S. 317343. DOI: 10.1007/s11024-019-09368-3.
Williams, Mark (o.J.): Secure Messaging Apps Comparison. https://www.securemessagingapps.com/
Zorn, Isabel; Murmann, Jule; Harrach-Lasfaghi, Asmae (2021): Kriterien für die Auswahl Privatsphäre schützender Messenger für Einrichtungen der
Sozialen Arbeit In: Ingrid Stapf Regina Ammicht Quinn Michael Friedewald Jessica Heesen und Nicole Krämer (Hg ): Aufwachsen in überwachten
Thank you for your attention!
26.09.2019
20
Contact Deatails:
http://Intia.de ; https://www.th-koeln.de/
Isabel Zorn, Marc Schmidt, Janina Rösch,Dennis Wilk
isabel.zorn@th-koeln.de
Discussion:
What is the situation like @ your university? @ social work
institutes?
ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any citations for this publication.
Article
Full-text available
Open access is fast becoming the norm across science. Sharing research data broadly has the potential to accelerate scientific progress, optimize the value of data, and promote scientific integrity. However, data sharing also poses new practical and ethical challenges to the conduct of research with human participants. This article provides an overview of how open access to research data has impacted the core principles of research ethics—respect for persons, beneficence, and justice—and, in turn, how a reinterpretation of these principles translates to procedures for the protection of the rights and wellbeing of human research participants.
Article
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the knowledge and attitude about research data management, the use of data management methods and the perceived need for support, in relation to participants’ field of research. Design/methodology/approach This is a quantitative study. Data were collected by an email survey and sent to 792 academic researchers and doctoral students. Total response rate was 18% ( N = 139). The measurement instrument consisted of six sets of questions: about data management plans, the assignment of additional information to research data, about metadata, standard file naming systems, training at data management methods and the storing of research data. Findings The main finding is that knowledge about the procedures of data management is limited, and data management is not a normal practice in the researcher's work. They were, however, in general, of the opinion that the university should take the lead by recommending and offering access to the necessary tools of data management. Taken together, the results indicate that there is an urgent need to increase the researcher's understanding of the importance of data management that is based on professional knowledge and to provide them with resources and training that enables them to make effective and productive use of data management methods. Research limitations/implications The survey was sent to all members of the population but not a sample of it. Because of the response rate, the results cannot be generalized to all researchers at the university. Nevertheless, the findings may provide an important understanding about their research data procedures, in particular what characterizes their knowledge about data management and attitude towards it. Practical implications Awareness of these issues is essential for information specialists at academic libraries, together with other units within the universities, to be able to design infrastructures and develop services that suit the needs of the research community. The findings can be used, to develop data policies and services, based on professional knowledge of best practices and recognized standards that assist the research community at data management. Originality/value The study contributes to the existing literature about research data management by examining the results by participants’ field of research. Recognition of the issues is critical in order for information specialists in collaboration with universities to design relevant infrastructures and services for academics and doctoral students that can promote their research data management.
Article
New advances in digital technologies and data-collection methods support expansion of the traditional research model in the current Digital Age. As researchers continue to explore ways to collect, manage, and share individual-level research study data, investigators must also acknowledge new ethical considerations that arise. To ensure protection of research participants, participants must remain a priority across the research continuum by researchers, institutional review boards, funding agencies, and consumers. Big data and data sharing also require additional investments and oversight to ensure proper management and, and even more important, protection of human subjects.
Article
As part of our NSF funded collaborative project on Data Sharing within Engineering Education Community, we conducted an empirical study to better understand the current climate of data sharing and participants' future expectations of the field. We present findings of this mixed method study and discuss implications. Overall, we found strong support for sharing research data within the community but participants were cautious about ethical and privacy implications, as well as issues around ownership of data. Participants expressed the need for an easy to use system to support sharing research data.