PassingNotes.com

you know, i’ve done many interviews in the past where i’ve been required to transcribe precise dialogue (primarily for a television show) - in these cases, i really took the high road…not only did i inform the subjects and request permission to record, but i also explained exactly how transcripts would be generated, who would see them and so on…otherwise, i’m just a super scribbler, like everybody else who gets on the phone (…i hope that my fellow members of SCIP are reading this post…)

…but alas, there are many who do not understand just how wrong it can be to record phone calls, including a very old employer with whom i wound up embroiled in debate resulting in my decision to move on (they really, really pissed me off pretending to understand neither the ethics nor the laws involved)…

so what’s a potential conversation recorder to do? try checking the law…and if you can’t afford a lawyer, then at least kick off your fact finding with a visit to this amazing guide from “The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press” - it’s called ‘Can we tape?‘ - it’s online, and it’s an outstanding free resource…it includes a state by state guide http://www.rcfp.org/taping/, tons of additional notes, as well as a few notes about the specific use of cellular phones (because yes, it’s actually quite easy to record from cell phones) …

from the rcfp, “This guide provides a quick reference to the specific provisions of each jurisdiction s wiretap law. It outlines whether one-party or all-party consent is required to permit recording of a conversation, and provides the legal citations for wiretap statutes. Some references to case law have been provided in instances where courts have provided further guidance on the law. Penalties for violations of the law are described, including criminal penalties (jail and fines) and civil damages (money that a court may order the violator to pay to the subject of the taping). Instances where the law specifically includes cellular calls and the wireless portion of cordless phone calls also are noted, but many laws are purposely broad enough to encompass such calls without specifically mentioning them.”

please, fellow researchers, given all that shit that’s going down with HP and the cloud that’s beginning to settle over the world of research, you need to begin to think about doing the right thing all of the time…

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