Terms and Conditions for Research Participation

1. Introduction and Agreement

Welcome to the Dark Pattern Validation research study (the "Study"). This Study is conducted by Israel A. Rosales L. and collaborators (the "Researchers") as part of ongoing academic research into Large Language Models (LLMs) and AI ethics. By choosing to participate in this Study, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions ("Terms"). If you do not agree with these Terms, please do not participate in the Study.

2. Eligibility

To participate in this Study, you must be at least 18 years of age. By participating, you confirm that you meet this age requirement.

3. Nature of Participation

Participation in this Study is entirely voluntary. You will be asked to review pairs of text generated by AI models and select your preference, provide a rating, and optionally offer comments. The estimated time commitment is between 10 to 45 minutes, depending on the number of entries you choose to evaluate.

You are free to withdraw from the Study at any time without penalty by simply closing your browser window or navigating away from the survey pages. Any data submitted up to the point of withdrawal may be retained and used anonymously for research purposes as outlined in these Terms.

4. Data Collection and Usage

The data collected during this Study includes:

• Your evaluations of AI-generated text (preferences, ratings, comments).
• Anonymized demographic information (age group, gender, education, expertise, AI familiarity) if you provide it.
• A unique, randomly generated session identifier to link your responses.
• Optionally, your email address if you choose to provide it for receiving research updates and the final paper.

This data will be used for research purposes, including but not limited to: academic publications, presentations, the creation of a publicly available anonymized dataset to benefit the AI research community, and for developing tools and methods to improve AI safety and ethics. Your individual responses will be aggregated and anonymized in any public dissemination of results.

5. Confidentiality and Anonymity

If you choose to participate anonymously, no personally identifiable information (PII) will be collected beyond the automatically generated session ID. If you provide an email address, it will be stored separately from your survey responses and used solely for communication purposes related to this Study (e.g., sending the research paper). It will not be linked to your specific evaluations in public datasets or publications. We will take reasonable measures to protect the confidentiality of any email addresses provided.

All evaluation data and demographic information will be anonymized before any public sharing or publication. This means that any information that could potentially identify you will be removed or coded.

6. Risks and Benefits

There are no direct physical risks associated with participating in this Study. Some participants might find certain AI-generated text examples to be unhelpful, biased, or mildly concerning, reflecting the current challenges in AI development. The primary benefit of participation is contributing to valuable research aimed at improving AI ethics and safety. Participants who provide an email may also receive access to research findings.

7. Intellectual Property

By submitting responses, you grant the Researchers a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive, perpetual license to use, reproduce, distribute, and create derivative works from your anonymized contributions for research and academic purposes, including the creation of public datasets.

8. Contact Information

If you have any questions about these Terms, your rights as a participant, or the Study, please contact us.

9. Acknowledgment and Consent

By proceeding with the survey, you confirm that you have read and understood these Terms and Conditions and voluntarily consent to participate in the Study under these terms.