Research Ethics Policy
Rubikn exists to help teams make defensible, proof-backed decisions—especially when competitive claims are loud, vague, or exaggerated.
When our work involves talking to real people (interviews, surveys, win/loss conversations, messaging tests), we follow the ethics principles below to protect participants and to ensure the insights we deliver are credible, usable, and responsibly gathered.
Last updated: [February 14, 2026]
Contact: [contact@rubikn.com]
What this policy applies to
This policy covers human-participant research conducted by Rubikn, including (when applicable):
- Customer/prospect interviews
- Win/loss interviews
- Messaging or positioning tests (short calls or surveys)
- Any other research activity involving individual participants
(Separate policies may apply to website analytics, cookies, or general site privacy.)
Our commitments
1) Informed consent
We do not collect research data from people without clear, informed, voluntary consent.
- Before participation, we explain in plain language:
- Who we are and who we’re doing the research for (Rubikn and/or a client project)
- Purpose of the research (what we’re trying to learn)
- What participation involves (format, estimated time, topics)
- Whether the session will be recorded (audio/video/screen)
- How the information will be used (themes, anonymized quotes, summary insights)
- What will be shared with our client (if this is a client-sponsored study)
- That participation is voluntary, and participants can skip any question
- That participants can stop at any time without penalty
- How to withdraw consent or request deletion (when feasible)
If anything changes materially (purpose, recording, data sharing), we re-consent.
2) Anonymity and confidentiality
Default rule: We treat participant identity as confidential.
- We de-identify notes and insights wherever possible (removing names, emails, and direct identifiers).
- We report findings primarily as themes and patterns, not individual stories.
- If we use quotes, we sanitize them and avoid details that could reasonably identify a person or company.
- We do not share participant contact details with anyone unless the participant explicitly asks us to.
Important note on small samples: In narrow markets or small groups, complete anonymity cannot always be guaranteed (because a client may infer identity from context). If that risk exists, we will tell participants upfront and adjust what we collect/share accordingly.
Attribution / named quotes: We will only attribute a quote to a person or company if the participant provides explicit opt-in permission.
3) Participant compensation fairness
When compensation is offered:
- The amount and format are disclosed before the participant agrees to take part.
- Compensation is not contingent on “positive feedback,” “saying the right thing,” or completing every question.
- Participants can skip questions and still be compensated.
- If a participant ends early, we aim to compensate fairly for time spent (and we will always follow what we stated upfront).
We avoid compensation amounts or recruiting practices that could be coercive or manipulative.
4) Avoiding deceptive practices
We do not use deception to obtain participant information.
That means:
- We do not misrepresent who we are, who we work for, or what the research is for.
- We do not use trick questions designed to extract confidential information.
- We do not ask participants to share trade secrets, NDA-protected information, or anything they are not authorized to share.
- We do not use “dark patterns” to pressure participation.
If a research method ever requires limited concealment (rare), we will:
- ensure it is lawful,
- minimize any risk to participants, and
- disclose the approach and reasoning to the client, and when appropriate, to participants after the session.
5) Conflict of interest policy
Trust requires independence.
- We disclose material conflicts of interest that could reasonably affect objectivity.
- We do not knowingly reuse confidential information from one client to benefit another.
- If two potential clients are direct competitors, we may decline one engagement or implement strict separation (scope, access, timelines) depending on the situation.
- If we believe we cannot provide an independent, fair analysis, we will not take the project.
6) Handling sensitive topics
- We aim to keep research respectful and appropriately scoped.
- We avoid sensitive personal topics unless they are essential to the research purpose.
- Participants can skip any question or stop at any time.
- We actively discourage sharing personal data or confidential company details.
- If a participant becomes uncomfortable, we pause, change direction, or end the session.
- If we accidentally collect sensitive information that should not be retained, we will delete or redact it from notes and reporting when feasible.
7) Data handling and security
We protect research data with reasonable administrative and technical safeguards:
- Access is restricted to the minimum number of people required to do the work.
- Files are stored in secure systems with controlled access.
- We separate identifying information (names/contact details) from research notes where possible.
Retention:
- Recordings and raw transcripts: retained for up to [e.g., 12 months] for verification and analysis, then deleted.
- De-identified notes and synthesized insights: may be retained longer to improve research quality and support historical comparisons.
- Participants can request deletion where feasible (see next section).
Your rights as a participant
If you participate in a Rubikn research activity, you can:
- Ask what data we collected from you
- Request correction of clear errors
- Request deletion of your identifiable data (when feasible)
- Withdraw consent for future use of your data (where applicable)
To make a request, email [contact@rubikn.com] with the subject line: “Research Ethics Request.”