The DECIDE Framework: Describing Ethical Choices in Digital-Behavioral-Data Explorations

Behavioral sciences now routinely rely on digital data, supported by digital technologies and platforms. This has resulted in an abundance of new ethical challenges for researchers and ethical review boards. Several contemporary high-profile cases emphasize that ethical issues often surface after the research is published, once harm has already occurred. Consequently, implementing safeguards in digital behavioral research is often reactionary and fails to adequately prevent harm. In response, we propose the DECIDE framework which encourages ethical reflections and discussions throughout all stages of the research process. The framework presents several questions designed to help researchers view their work from new perspectives and uncover ethical issues they might not have anticipated. We provide several resources to support researchers with their ethical reflections and discussions, including (i) The DECIDE Framework Spreadsheet, (ii) The DECIDE Desktop App, (iii) Information Documents, and (iv) Flowcharts. This article provides suggestions on how to use each resource to encourage proactive discussions of how ethical issues may apply to specific research contexts. By promoting continous ethical considerations, safeguards can be put in place throughout the research project, even after research commencement. The DECIDE framework shifts ethical reflection away from being reactive towards a more proactive endeavor, reducing the risk of harm, and the misuse of digital behavioral data.