Human Research

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Students sometimes worry that if they disclose too clearly the purpose of the research they will initiate the Hawthorne effect and get from subjects data that conforms to what subjects believe researchers are looking for. Remember, however, that little research is conducted to substantiate a foregone conclusion. Rather, most research investigates, so researchers can certainly explain in brief what the focus of the research is and why it matters.

Jared Tomlin in 2004 noted this purpose for his research: "Information collected in this study may help teachers to develop more effective writing heuristics, provide necessary resources to facilitate student writing, and improve our understanding of the complexity of the writing process." The general description of the purpose would not help even the most suggestible subjects know just what responses "would make the researcher happy."