Every Lab engagement is held to the same international standards, whether the study is published or delivered privately. This is the short reference page.
Every study the Lab designs, and every study we deliver, is held to five international frameworks. They govern how we obtain consent, how we handle personal data, how we treat the people whose time we ask for, and how the evidence we report can be traced back to its source.
Fieldwork that does not meet these standards is not fieldwork we run.
Every respondent is told, in the language they are most comfortable in, who is asking, what the study is for, who will see the answers, and that they can decline any question or withdraw at any time without consequence.
Consent is informed: the purpose is explained before recording starts. It is recorded: verbally at minimum, in writing where the setting supports it. It is revocable: a respondent who changes their mind after the interview can have their record removed. Nothing is passed on to a client or a publication that a respondent has withdrawn.
Where a study involves photographs, video, or names, a separate release is asked for and can be declined without affecting the interview itself.
Field notes and recordings are anonymised at the point of transcription. Only the field researcher and the study lead see the raw record; the rest of the team works from the anonymised version.
Personal data on European engagements is handled under EU GDPR; on non-European ones we default to the same standard. Storage is minimal: only what a study needs, only for as long as the study needs it, and deleted on request.
Site-level data (the transitionslab.org website) is covered separately in our privacy policy.
The Lab is independent of the technologies, ventures, and programmes it studies. We do not take equity, revenue share, or contingent fees. Where a prior relationship with a party in a study could reasonably be seen as a conflict, we disclose it in writing before the engagement starts, and if the disclosure does not resolve it, we do not take the study.
Findings are reported as the evidence describes them, including the inconvenient parts. That is the substance of what makes independent research worth commissioning; the ethics framework above is what makes it defensible.
If this reads close to a decision you are weighing, we would like to hear about it. A short note is enough to start.
The Lab is an independent research team, not an advocacy organisation. We do not campaign, endorse products, or accept commissions where a finding is expected in advance. Where a partner's own theory of change is what needs testing, that is a legitimate engagement, and the Lab tests it honestly.