You may not financially or sexually exploit your volunteers. Keep in mind that asking some personal questions may be upsetting to some people and therefore may be considered harmful. If there is even a potential risk of harm, you must assess the level of risk and make every effort to minimize it. You must assess the benefits of your research to your volunteers or to others. Federal regulation require you to ensure that the benefits of your research outweigh any risks.
Ethical research is research that involves some clear benefit and little if any risk.
Research with high risks and no benefits should not be performed. You must select your subjects in a fair and equitable manner. Participants should be selected because of reasons directly related to the problem being studied rather than because they are gullible, powerless, or dependent on you for rewards or punishments. You must tell your subjects the purpose of the study and obtain their informed consent. Contact your instructor or the IRB for instructions on designing informed consent forms.