In research involving recording voices or images, when is informed consent not required?

Informed consent is a key ethical principle in research, particularly when dealing with recording voices or images. In the context of naturalistic observations in public places, informed consent is not typically required because individuals do not have a reasonable expectation of privacy when they are in a public setting. The rationale is that people in public areas are generally exposed to the potential of being observed or recorded by others, which makes the act of capturing images or audio less intrusive from an ethical standpoint.

This principle recognizes that the nature of the environment affects the need for consent. In public places, such as parks or streets, individuals are engaging in activities that are observable by anyone present, which diminishes the necessity for informed consent. Therefore, researchers can ethically record individuals in these contexts without seeking explicit consent, provided they adhere to local laws and regulations regarding observation and recording.

The other options would typically require informed consent due to their context or methodology. For example, controlled settings often involve a higher expectation of privacy, and notifying participants after the study does not align with ethical standards that emphasize upfront consent.