Letter to the Editor: A possible threat to data integrity for online qualitative autism research

Pellicano, Elizabeth; Adams, Dawn; Crane, Laura; Hollingue, Calliope; Allen, Connie; Almendinger, Katherine; Botha, Monique; Haar, Tori; Kapp, Steven K; Wheeley, Elizabeth

Abstract

Researchers are increasingly relying on online methods for data collection, including for qualitative research involving interviews and focus groups. In this letter, we alert autism researchers to a possible threat to data integrity in such studies: “scammer” participants, who may be posing as autistic people and/or parents of autistic children in research studies, presumably for financial gain. Here, we caution qualitative autism researchers to be vigilant of potential scammer participants in their online studies and invite a broader discussion about the implications of such fraudulent acts.

Citation

Pellicano, E., Adams, D., Crane, L., Hollingue, C., Allen, C., Almendinger, K., Botha, M., Haar, T., Kapp, S. K., & Wheeley, E. (2024). Letter to the Editor: A possible threat to data integrity for online qualitative autism research. Autism, 28, 786 – 792. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613231174543

• Journal Article Type: Letter
• Acceptance Date: Apr 9, 2023
• Online Publication Date: May 22, 2023
• Publication Date: 2024-03
• Deposit Date: Jan 17, 2025
• Journal: Autism
• Print ISSN: 1362-3613
• Electronic ISSN: 1461-7005
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 28
• Pages: 786 – 792
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613231174543
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/3200056
• Related Public URLs: https://hdl.handle.net/10072/432032
• Other Repo URL: https://hdl.handle.net/10072/432032