Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

What do I do about the consent part of the experiment? Isn't it illegal to use the footage without the person's permission? I talked to my teacher about this and she says to just change my experiment or make an online survey instead but I feel like it's too late to change it now. Are there any ways around this or any things I could drop or add to it to make it legal without having to get their consent? this is my project: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p002.shtml

That's a good point but simply videotaping someone doesn't require their consent. Department stores do it all the time - sometimes they have signs up saying they have cameras and sometimes they don't. In that case, walking past the sign that says "Smile, you're on camera" is considered consent. In your case, the people are out on a public street and you're free to photograph what you can see. How you use it is the issue. You can't find someone walking a really cute dog, take pictures of it without the owner knowing and then sell them. You can legally take the pictures but you can't profit off them or use them in a negative way.

This project suggests that you videotape your transactions with strangers in a public place. If you needed permission to do your experiment there then I assume you got that permission. People who you talk to are simply doing normal things in a normal place so there's no issue with the recording if you just use it for your experiment. If someone slips on a banana peel and does a spectacular backflip that you catch on camera though, you have to get their consent before sending it into a TV blooper/video show. Do you see the difference? If you really want to get consent from everyone you talk to, it's best to have someone else help you and talk to the people after you talk to them on camera. If they know in advance that will ruin the experiment. Most people though won't sign your form.

The experiment as written would pass just about any college IRB (Institutional Review Board) I've worked with. Just be sure to do things in a public place, and keep the video limited to the experiment. You'll be fine.

Howard