It has long been a tradition in HCI to consult with, and work with people in order to understand the perspectives, performance and preferences of users. This interaction is not without complications as the individuals that help in HCI work are many and varied and their motivations, understanding and ability to, meaningfully contribute to our endeavours are complex and changeable. When choosing participants for HCI work we traditionally balance need against effort whilst also aiming to work as ethically as possible and ensuring a good experience for those who work with us.
Recent changes in legislation, especially in Europe with the GDPR, have put a new spotlight on research work. In HCI our work is a mixture of research, design and evaluation and so communicating it, and even rationalising it, to ourselves and to others (including ethics boards) can be complicated.
This interactive and practical half day tutorial will bring together ethical practice and data protection in the unique context of HCI research work, considering design, evaluation and classic research studies. Using practical examples of work done with children, learning disabled and the elderly, by way of their positions as extreme users, this tutorial will provide a suite of practical tools, as well as the examination of case studies, that will enable participants to think again about their work. Open to all attendees, from industry and academia, this tutorial will leave attendees more critical and more careful and empowered to work within legal and ethical constraints.