Question about ethics issue in researching abuse

["Dan Taube" <dtaube@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear List members,
 
I am an IRB chair, and have come up against an interesting question that I thought some of you might have had occasion to have previously addressed. We have a student interested in conducting qualitative research with two adults who were identified as being victims of Munchausens by Proxy.  Her research would involve using standardized psychological tests and interviews with  these adults--one of whom has apparently been significantly affected by his/her experience, and the other of whom has experienced less signifanct effects. One of the study's aims is to clarify which areas of functioning are most affected. Aside from the issue of the utility and design of this study, the committee members (as well as the student) are concerned about one risk in particular. That is,  is there a way to prevent family members (or the participants, for that matter) from obtaining the full published dissertation, with its description of the testing data and potential for misinterpretation or mi!
suse? We've recommended that, at a minimum, at Certificate of Confidentiality be obtained by the student to protect the raw, identifiable data, and that she, of course disguise the participants as much as possible. And with our typical request that researchers offer a summary of results to participants upon the completion of the study, we believe it possible to provide results in a manner respectful of participants sensitivities.  Nonetheless, it would be relatively easy to identify the study and obtain a copy of the dissertation--as the student must inform participants about her status as a student at our school, and dissertations are available in our library (not to mention DAI). 
 
If you have any suggestions about how we might address this risk so the student could adequately protect these participants, it would be appreciated. 
 
Dan Taube
AIU-California School of Professional Psychology
1005 Atlantic Ave.
Alameda, CA 94501
510-523-2300 ext. 128
dtaube@alliant.edu