What we collect.
What we do with it.
This page explains what data this research collects, how it is stored, who can access it, and your rights as a participant. Read this before taking the survey or interview.
This is academic research. The ethical framework reflects that.
This study is being conducted as part of the Applied Research Project requirement for the Executive MBA programme at SP Jain School of Global Management. It follows the institution's research ethics guidelines and the principles of voluntary, informed participation.
The research question is observational, not interventional. The study examines how AI practitioners understand and respond to the ABSD framework - it does not attempt to change participant behaviour, influence decisions, or collect data that could identify individuals without their knowledge.
Participation is entirely voluntary. You can stop at any point. You can withdraw your data after submission. You can take the survey or interview without being identified by name. Nothing collected here is shared with third parties, sold, or used for any purpose other than this research.
A clear breakdown of every data point.
The table below lists every category of data collected across the survey and interview tools. Nothing is collected that is not listed here.
| Data type | What it contains | Collected |
|---|---|---|
| Survey answers | Responses to 15 questions about AI system capabilities, signal recognition, and ABSD framework utility. No personally identifiable questions. | Always |
| Behavioural timing | Time spent on each survey card, pause duration before first interaction, number of answer changes per card, whether voice or text input was used. Fully anonymous - not linkable to identity. | Always |
| Interview transcript | Text transcript of spoken answers to 15 semi-structured interview questions. Generated by Web Speech Recognition. You can review and edit the transcript before submitting. | Always |
| Name and role | Provided voluntarily on the interview details screen. Used to contextualise interview responses and, if opted in, for the contributor wall display. Never shared externally. | Interview only |
| Email address | Provided voluntarily on the interview details screen. Used solely for research follow-up if relevant and for PDF download access. Not used for marketing. Not shared. | Interview only |
| Audio recording | Voice recording of your interview answers. Collected only if you explicitly select "Transcript and audio" on the consent screen. Default is transcript only. Audio is stored in a password-protected Google Drive folder accessible only to the researcher. | Consent required |
| Organisation | Company or institution name. Provided voluntarily, optional field. Used only to provide context for your responses. Never listed publicly without explicit permission. | Optional |
| PDF download email | Email address submitted to download a PDF version of the research. Used only to deliver the file and add to the research newsletter. Unsubscribe available at any time. | PDF downloads only |
| Contributor wall opt-in | First name and role displayed publicly on the contributors page. Checkbox on the survey closing card. Never checked by default. Can be removed on request. | Explicit opt-in |
| Compare tool result | ABSD layer assessment and five question responses from the self-assessment tool at predictwhy.com/compare. Submitted only if you tap "Contribute my assessment". Fully anonymous - no name, no email, no identity. Used to map layer distribution across practitioners. | Explicit opt-in |
| IP address / device data | Not collected by this research. Standard server logs are managed by Netlify under their privacy policy. The research application itself does not record or process IP addresses. | Not collected |
How you answer is part of the research. This is disclosed upfront.
The ABSD framework is specifically about inferring psychological states from behavioural patterns. It would be inconsistent to conduct research about this topic without applying it to the research instrument itself.
The survey captures how participants respond, not just what they say. This includes time spent on each card before answering, whether an answer was changed, and whether voice or text input was used. These behavioural patterns are analysed to provide a closing profile and contribute to the research findings on signal-to-state mapping.
The full instruments are published openly. Read exactly what you will be asked before participating: Survey Instrument · Interview Protocol.
Behavioural timing data is fully anonymous - it cannot be linked to a named individual. It is stored as aggregate session data alongside the survey answers. It is not shared, not sold, and not used outside this research.
Default is transcript only. Audio requires your explicit choice.
The interview tool offers two options at the consent screen. Transcript only is the default - your spoken answers are captured as text only, nothing else. Transcript and audio records your voice alongside the transcript.
Audio files are stored in a password-protected Google Drive folder accessible only to the researcher. They are used solely to verify and improve transcript accuracy and to capture nuance that text alone may miss. Audio files will be deleted following the research submission.
You can withdraw consent for audio at any time by contacting the researcher. The transcript portion of your interview will be retained unless you request full withdrawal.
Where data is stored and how long it is kept.
Survey and interview text data is stored in Google Sheets via Google Apps Script. Access is restricted to the researcher. Google Workspace applies encryption at rest and in transit.
Audio files, if consented to, are stored in Google Drive in a password-protected folder accessible only to the researcher.
The website is hosted on Netlify. Standard server logs (access logs) are retained by Netlify under their standard data retention policy. The research application itself does not log or process personally identifiable request data.
Retention period: Survey and interview data will be retained for a minimum of 12 months after the research submission to allow for academic review and follow-up queries. Audio recordings will be deleted within 30 days of the submission date. Email addresses collected for PDF downloads will be retained until an unsubscribe request is received.
What you can ask for and how to ask.
Research oversight and academic mentorship.
This research is conducted under the supervision of SP Jain School of Global Management as part of the Executive MBA Applied Research Project requirement.
Academic mentor: Himmat Singh, Adjunct Professor, SP Jain School of Global Management.
Industry mentor: Akshit Sharma, Founder, Brained.app.
The research follows standard qualitative research ethics as described in Braun and Clarke (2006) and the SP Jain research ethics guidelines. Participants are not offered payment or incentive. Participation is entirely voluntary. No deception is used at any stage of the research.
Questions, withdrawals, and corrections.
For any question about this research, your data, or your rights as a participant, contact the researcher directly at arunchandru@outlook.com or use the contact form.
If you have a concern about research ethics that you would prefer to raise with the institution directly rather than the researcher, you may contact the SP Jain School of Global Management academic office.