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ITTL Consulting’s work may involve organizational consultation, diagnosis, assessment, research, evaluation, leadership development, interviews, focus groups, written analysis, thematic interpretation, training, and reporting.
Because this work often touches real people inside real systems, ITTL Consulting approaches research and assessment with care, clarity, confidentiality, and a responsibility to do no harm.
1. Purpose of this page
This page describes ITTL Consulting’s public ethics posture. It is not a complete research protocol and does not replace a project-specific agreement, informed consent process, institutional review, or client engagement document.
Each project should define its own scope, participants, methods, confidentiality limits, data handling, reporting approach, and responsibilities.
Submitting an initial website inquiry is not research participation, assessment participation, informed consent, or a formal project intake protocol. Those steps, when relevant, must be handled through a separate project-specific process.
2. Guiding principles
ITTL Consulting’s approach is informed by the widely recognized principles of respect for persons, beneficence, and justice. In practice, that means defining a clear purpose before collecting information, seeking informed participation when appropriate, protecting confidentiality, minimizing avoidable harm, reporting truthfully, attending to power and culture, and using findings responsibly.
3. Scope before data collection
Before conducting formal organizational research, assessment, or evaluation, the project should clarify the purpose of the work, who the client or sponsoring organization is, who may participate, what methods may be used, what information may be collected, how information may be analyzed, who will receive findings, and what confidentiality protections and limits apply.
4. Participation and consent
When employees, leaders, managers, board members, or other participants are asked to participate in interviews, focus groups, questionnaires, written responses, or assessment activities, they should receive a clear explanation of the purpose of the activity and how their information may be used.
Where participation is voluntary, that should be clearly stated. Where participation is part of an organizational process, the expectations, consequences, and limits of confidentiality should be explained honestly. ITTL Consulting should also consider whether organizational authority, employment relationships, incentives, or group pressure could create coercion or undue influence.
5. Confidentiality and reporting
ITTL Consulting should handle participant information with care. Reports should be designed to help the organization understand patterns, themes, risks, strengths, gaps, and next steps without unnecessarily exposing individual participants.
When findings are reported by role, group, unit, or theme, ITTL Consulting should consider whether individuals could be indirectly identified because of group size, role uniqueness, or context.
6. Focus groups and group settings
Focus groups can reveal important lived experience and shared themes. However, confidentiality in a group setting has natural limits because other participants hear what is shared.
Participants should be reminded to respect the privacy of others and not repeat personal information outside the group. ITTL Consulting can request this conduct but cannot guarantee that other participants will maintain confidentiality.
7. Recordings, notes, and transcripts
If interviews, focus groups, or meetings are recorded or transcribed, participants should be told why recording is being used, how recordings or transcripts will be handled, and whether they will be retained, summarized, or deleted.
8. Sensitive information
Organizational work may involve sensitive issues such as conflict, leadership behavior, culture, race, gender, age, disability, inclusion, stress, trauma, discrimination, trust, performance, or interpersonal harm.
ITTL Consulting should collect only information that is relevant to the project purpose and should avoid unnecessary exposure of sensitive personal information.
9. Research versus consulting
Some ITTL Consulting work may be consulting or evaluation for organizational decision-making. Other work may be formal research intended for publication, academic use, theory development, or public dissemination.
When a project meets the applicable definition of human subjects research, ITTL Consulting should determine before the work begins whether review by an institutional review board or another ethics body is required by law, institutional policy, a funder, a sponsor, or a publication agreement. Required review and consent processes must be completed before covered research activities begin.
10. Data handling and retention
Project documents should specify who may access identifiable information, where it will be stored, how it will be protected, how long it will be retained, and when it will be deleted or de-identified. ITTL Consulting should collect and retain only what is reasonably necessary for the stated purpose and applicable professional, contractual, or legal obligations.
11. Use of findings
Findings should be used to support understanding, responsible decision-making, development, accountability, and constructive change.
Research and assessment should not be used as a pretext to punish, shame, expose, or manipulate participants.
12. Do no harm
ITTL Consulting’s work is rooted in the belief that people and systems must be understood together. Recommendations should therefore consider both organizational need and human consequence.
The goal is not simply to name dysfunction, but to help leaders choose actions that are truthful, ethical, practical, and less harmful.
13. Newsletter subscriptions and research participation
Subscribing to ITTL Perspectives is not consent to participate in research, organizational assessment, evaluation, interviews, questionnaires, focus groups, or other research-related activities. Newsletter subscription records are maintained for communication and subscription-management purposes and are not treated as research participation merely because a person subscribes.
If ITTL Consulting uses ITTL Perspectives or another communication channel to invite individuals to a research opportunity, the invitation should separately explain the purpose of the activity, eligibility, voluntary nature of participation, relevant data handling, confidentiality considerations, and any applicable consent or review process.
Choosing not to participate in a research opportunity should not affect a person’s newsletter subscription or other relationship with ITTL Consulting.
14. Contact
Questions about ITTL Consulting’s research ethics posture may be sent by email.