Research Ethics Overview

HCIS research is guided by widely recognized ethical principles, including:

• Respect for persons – informed and voluntary participation
• Beneficence and non-maleficence – maximizing benefits, minimizing risks
• Justice – fair selection and treatment of participants
• Transparency – clear communication of goals, methods, and data handling

These principles apply both to traditional user studies and to data-driven, AI-based research.

Where required, projects involving human participants or sensitive data undergo an ethics review process. This may include:

• Submitting study protocols and consent materials
• Assessing risks and mitigation strategies
• Reviewing data collection, storage, and anonymization plans

The specific process follows the rules and structures set by Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt and any relevant funding bodies.

Participants are informed in accessible language about:

• Study purpose and procedures
• What data will be collected and how long it will be stored
• Potential risks and discomforts
• Their right to withdraw at any time without disadvantage

Participation is voluntary, and consent is typically documented via written or electronic forms.

Ethical research is closely linked to data protection. Typical measures include:

• Collecting only the data necessary to answer the research question
• Pseudonymizing or anonymizing data wherever feasible
• Restricting access to authorized team members
• Using secure storage systems approved by THI

When working with particularly sensitive data (e.g., physiological signals, emotion labels), additional safeguards are implemented.

Research ethics are not a one-time checklist, but an ongoing process. HCIS regularly revisits ethical questions in light of:

• New technologies (e.g., multimodal sensing, generative AI)
• Emerging societal concerns
• Updated legal requirements

This includes internal discussions, training, and cooperation with external partners and ethics boards.