What is a recommended practice for ethical online survey design?

Ensuring participants can access all parts of the survey easily is a fundamental practice in ethical online survey design because it promotes transparency, respect for the participant's autonomy, and overall user experience. When participants can navigate the survey without difficulties, it enhances their willingness to engage fully and accurately with the survey questions. This accessibility aligns with ethical principles, which prioritize the comfort and understanding of participants, thereby encouraging informed consent and voluntary participation.

In addition, easy access to all parts of the survey allows participants to revisit previous questions if needed, which can improve data quality. It fosters a sense of trust between the researcher and participants— key components of conducting ethical research. This practice also helps mitigate issues such as participant frustration, dropout rates, and incomplete responses, which can significantly impact the integrity of the data collected.