u/hawepoyhwasger

I recently came across a discussion about a research project that had collected data without prior IRB/REB approval, and the discussion made me wonder about a slightly different situation. If someone conducts an independent research project without formal IRB/REB review, but does not intend to publish the study academically, would there be ethical concerns with documenting the project on a personal blog for educational purposes? For example, the blog could describe the methodology, ethical considerations, limitations, and lessons learned, without publishing names, identifying information, or individual-level data. The researcher would also be transparent that no formal ethics review was obtained and that any ethics training they completed does not replace formal approval. Would publicly documenting the project itself raise ethical concerns, even if the purpose is simply to reflect on the experience and learn from it?

I have a habit of putting random objects in my mouth when I'm distracted, thinking, or doing something else. I often don't even realize I'm doing it until I catch myself.

I feel like this habit makes me come across as childish or even a little silly, especially at my age, and that's one of the reasons I really want to stop doing it.

For adults who have dealt with similar automatic habits, what do you think of this kind of behavior when you see someone doing it? Does it actually come across as childish or silly, or is it something most people wouldn't pay much attention to?

And, more importantly, what helped you break an automatic habit that you weren't even conscious of doing?

I'm a high school student interested in STEM and considering an academic career. I'm wondering how realistic it is to finish a PhD around age 25–27, and whether anyone here completed theirs at that age. I'm also curious about academic salaries and how they compare with industry, particularly in the US, UK, or Europe. I'd appreciate hearing about your personal experiences.

I'm documenting an independent exploratory social science project and would appreciate methodological feedback. Method: I began with naturalistic observations, developed a questionnaire based on those observations, conducted a pilot test and revised the questionnaire accordingly, then continued observations while collecting questionnaire responses. My conclusions were informed by both the observational records and the questionnaire data. Ethical considerations included voluntary participation, anonymity, confidentiality, and minimizing potential harm. Does this overall methodology seem appropriate for an exploratory project? Are there any methodological or ethical weaknesses I should address?