Dear INFO 200 Students,
We wanted to provide some important clarifications in response to a recent question about whether students in INFO 200 can interview or survey members of their chosen communities.
Please note that you should not create or use any form of data gathering tools—such as surveys or formal interviews—for any assignments in INFO 200. These methods are beyond the scope of the course and introduce issues related to privacy, data reliability, and ethical considerations. Research involving human subjects requires specialized training, and maintaining privacy is a responsibility we take very seriously. Any breach, even unintentional, could compromise the anonymity of community members.
In future courses, such as INFO 285: Research Methods, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of how to conduct research involving human subjects, including the use of surveys, interviews, and observational techniques. You’ll also learn about the necessary protocols, including those established by the Institutional Review Board (IRB), which ensures ethical practices in research.
For now, please focus on exploring scholarly and professional literature related to the information behaviors of your chosen community. You can gather valuable insights through community-based resources without directly involving human participants.