Research that respects the people behind the data.
Rubikn exists to help teams make defensible, proof-backed decisions — especially when competitive claims are loud, vague, or exaggerated. When the work involves talking to real people, Rubikn follows the ethics principles below to protect participants and ensure insights are credible, usable, and responsibly gathered.
What this policy applies to.
This policy covers human-participant research conducted by Rubikn, including:
Customer & prospect interviews
Win / loss interviews
Messaging or positioning tests
Short calls or surveys
Any other research involving individual participants
Separate policies apply to website analytics, cookies, and general site privacy.
Three principles that govern every conversation.
Rubikn does not collect research data from people without clear, informed, voluntary consent. Participation is always optional. Participants can skip any question or stop at any time without penalty.
Participant identity is confidential by default. Findings are reported as themes and patterns, not individual stories. Quotes are sanitized. Contact details are never shared.
Trust requires independence. Rubikn discloses conflicts of interest and does not reuse confidential information from one client to benefit another. If it cannot provide a fair analysis, it declines the project.
What participants know before they start.
Before participation, Rubikn explains in plain language — not legal boilerplate:
If anything changes materially — purpose, recording method, data sharing — consent is asked for again.
How Rubikn protects identity.
De-identification
Names, emails, and direct identifiers are removed from notes and insights wherever possible. Findings are reported as themes and patterns.
Quote sanitization
If quotes are used, details that could reasonably identify a person or company are removed. Named attribution requires explicit opt-in permission.
Small sample transparency
In narrow markets or small groups, complete anonymity cannot always be guaranteed. If that risk exists, participants are told upfront and what is collected and shared is adjusted.
Fair pay, no strings.
When compensation is offered for research participation:
Compensation amounts or recruiting practices that could be coercive or manipulative are avoided.
Rubikn doesn’t trick people into talking.
No misrepresentation
Rubikn does not misrepresent who it is, who it works for, or what the research is for. Ever.
No extraction
Rubikn does not use trick questions to extract confidential information. It does not ask participants to share trade secrets, NDA-protected information, or anything they’re not authorized to share.
No dark patterns
Rubikn does not use dark patterns to pressure participation. If limited concealment is ever required, the approach and reasoning are disclosed to the client — and to participants after the session.
Trust requires independence.
When the conversation gets personal.
The aim is to keep research respectful and appropriately scoped. Sensitive personal topics are avoided unless they are essential to the research purpose. If a participant becomes uncomfortable, the session pauses, changes direction, or ends.
Skip anything
Participants can skip any question or stop at any time. No explanation required.
No personal data fishing
Sharing personal data or confidential company details that fall outside the research scope is actively discouraged.
Accidental collection
Sensitive information collected by accident that should not be retained is deleted or redacted from notes and reporting.
How Rubikn stores and protects your data.
Access control
Access is restricted to the minimum number of people required to do the work. No exceptions.
Secure storage
Files are stored in secure systems with controlled access. Identifying information is kept separate from research notes where possible.
Retention limits
Recordings and raw transcripts: retained for up to 12 months for verification, then deleted. De-identified insights: may be retained longer for quality improvement and historical comparison.
Your rights as a participant.
If you participate in a Rubikn research activity, you can:
Questions about how Rubikn handles research ethics.
If you’re a participant with questions about how your data was used — or a prospective client who wants to review the ethics process before engaging — Rubikn is happy to walk through it.