realtalk@MIT Research Consent
Consent to Use Your Data for Research by the MIT Center for Constructive Communication
Purpose of the Research
Data from your conversations and interactions during your realtalk@MIT conversation will be used to understand interaction patterns, evaluate impact, and improve future tools and methods of the realtalk@MIT program. This includes analyzing communication styles, engagement levels, and the overall effectiveness of the program components.
Voluntary Participation
Your decision to include your data in this research is completely voluntary. If you choose to provide access to your data, you may subsequently withdraw your data from the study at any time without penalty or consequences of any kind. If you choose not to include your data for research, that will not affect your ability to participate in the realtalk@MIT program or any other aspect of your relationship with MIT.
Research Consent Details
Data Collection and Usage
The following types of information from your interactions and conversations will be used in the research:
- Audio recordings of conversations
- Text transcriptions of conversations
- Record of interactions via the app including creating, posting, and listening to audio highlights (excerpts of conversation recordings), creation of forums, and other actions taken via the app
- Optional feedback forms and surveys related to the program
Data Transfer
Data will be transferred securely from the app to MIT CCC’s research cloud storage via an API provided by the app developer, Cortico.
Data Storage & Security
All collected data, including conversation recordings, will be permanently stored in a secure workspace. Data will be stored in encrypted formats on secure servers. Identifiable information will be stored separately from the research data to enhance privacy, although recordings of your voice could be used to identify you. Access to identifiable information will be restricted to authorized research personnel only.
Data Sharing
Data collected from the program will only be shared with MIT CCC researchers and a limited number of Cortico personnel responsible for the security and safety of the app. In case we decide to share data for research purposes with the research community, we would only release de-identified subsets of the data required for research replication.
Data Retention & Disposal
Data will be securely stored as a permanent record after the conclusion of the study. If you withdraw your data prior to the end of the study, we will remove your data from our records and ensure it is not used in any future analysis.
Risks
Participating in this research involves minimal risks. However, there is a potential risk of loss of confidentiality in the event of a data breach. We have implemented stringent security measures, including data encryption and secure storage, to minimize this risk.
Confidentiality
Unless you give us permission to use your name, title, and/or quote you in any publications that may result from this research, the information you share with the MIT CCC research team will be confidential, except if necessary to protect your rights or welfare, or if required by law. Additionally, your information may be reviewed by authorized MIT representatives to ensure compliance with MIT policies and procedures. Only researchers at the MIT Center for Constructive Communication and a limited number of Cortico personnel responsible for the security and safety of the app will have access to your data.
Your Rights
You are not waiving any legal claims, rights, or remedies because of your participation in this research study. If you feel you have been treated unfairly or have questions regarding your rights as a research subject, you may contact the Chairman of the Committee on the Use of Humans as Experimental Subjects, M.I.T., Room E25-143B, 77 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139, phone 1-617-253-6787. If you have questions about the study, please contact Marina Rakhlin, Program Manager at the MIT Center for Constructive Communication at realtalk@mit.edu.
