Education Week: Arizona Subpoena Seeks Researchers' ELL Data

Education Week: Arizona Subpoena Seeks Researchers' ELL Data

This seems to be an egregious misuse of power. I would never turn over data that I promised to be confidential. At best, I would work with my IRB to find another expert witness of the opposite side's choosing to review the data with me present only. And it would have to be anonymous versions of the data, particularly without teachers' names on it. Once the data is turned over, I would not be able to promise that it would be used ethically, which is the commitment I made when I collected the data and the informed consent. If I were one of the participating teachers, I would be waiving that consent form around and making sure there was no transfer of material of any sort that might implicate me. This kind of action would be stifling for future research on contentious issues where the participants' responses were promised confidentiality for the purposes of candor.