Hi Eero I think the others are quite right in thinking 1) it is always best to be open when conducting academic research. 2) that while not everyone has the same ethical standards, it is important to have some guidelines, to set a standard. Naturally ethical standards vary and it is up to the individual researcher as to how much they choose to abide by any seet of guidelines. As you so rightly asked "who should judge the ethics of another anyhow?" You may have a point in thinking that research conducted at arm's length is not necessarily more accurate but it is hopefully, more ethical. These sound like two separate arguments about accuracy (authenticity?) and ethics to me. The hoped for result of any academic research undertaken is that findings are taken seriously and thought to have contributed to the chosen field of study. That means your academic peers must be able to accept the standards you adhered to when conducting your research. While one may choose instead to be a member of the "school of unethical research" you would need alot more members of this new school to make your research acceptable. What I am really saying is, if one wants to be a member of any community, whether research or otherwise, there are bound to be certain norms and guidelines that govern how that community operates that one generally abides by. That is not to say, of course, that one cannot challenge these guidelines or exercise one's own judgement but to do so you must be ready to risk being excluded. Of course, you could then start your own community. ;-)