Prompt
You volunteer at a food bank. A university researcher offers the food bank $5,000 if she can interview clients about their finances while they wait in line for groceries. The director, who badly needs the money before winter, asks for your opinion. What would you tell her?
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After you practice: what this question tests and how to approach it
What this question tests
- Ethical reasoning
- Empathy and compassion
- Critical thinking
How to approach this question
This research ethics question tests whether you can see how need and money put pressure on consent. Name the problem directly: clients waiting in line for food may feel they can't refuse, and questions about their finances could feel invasive in public. Consider how the research could be done ethically, such as a private space, a separate time, and a clear message that saying no won't affect anyone's groceries. Weigh the director's need for funding before winter against the clients' dignity and privacy. Give her a clear recommendation, with the conditions you'd want in place before agreeing.
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