Research Ethics & Policy
Our framework for responsible data science. We are committed to protecting player privacy, ensuring data integrity, and promoting open access to knowledge.
1. Data Privacy & Anonymization
Handling of PGN Data
All game data uploaded to or analyzed by Chess Multiverse undergoes a rigorous "Sanitization Process" before being added to public datasets.
- PII Removal: We strip all chat logs, private notes, and IP addresses from PGN headers.
- Username Hashing: For studies requiring longitudinal tracking (e.g., "Player A's progress over 6 months"), usernames are hashed into anonymous IDs (e.g.,
User_7f9a2). Real usernames are only retained if the data is already public domain (e.g., Titled Tuesday logs). - Opt-Out: Any player can request the removal of their games from our specific datasets by contacting our data officer.
2. Academic Integrity & Citations
Attribution Standards
Chess Multiverse is built on the shoulders of the open-source community. We mandate correct attribution for all resources used.
- Engine Use: All analyses using Stockfish, Leela, or Maia must explicitly state the engine version, node count/depth, and hash size to ensure reproducibility.
- Source Data: We explicitly cite the origin of our raw data (e.g., Lichess Open Database, TWIC, or internal experiments) in every dataset metadata file.
- DOI Usage: We mint persistent DOIs via Zenodo for our datasets to ensure they remain permanently accessible for future researchers.
3. Fair Play & Cheat Detection
Responsible Disclosure
Our platform develops tools for analyzing player performance and cheat detection. However, we adhere to a strict non-witch-hunt policy.
Policy: We do not publish "cheat reports" on specific individuals. Our research focuses on aggregate patterns of engine correlation to improve detection algorithms, not to shame individual players. Any anomaly data related to specific accounts is shared privately with platform administrators (Lichess/Chess.com) only.
4. Human Subjects Research (Psychology Lab)
For active experiments involving human participants (e.g., surveys, cognitive tests), we follow the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.
- Informed Consent: Participants are clearly informed of the study's purpose, duration, and potential risks before data collection begins.
- Right to Withdraw: Participants may withdraw from an active experiment at any time without penalty.
- Debriefing: Upon completion of a study, participants are provided with a summary of the findings and the "why" behind the experiment.