Before undertaking any research especially independent research involving human participants in a setting like a school obtaining informed consent is the paramount ethical and procedural requirement The BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts explicitly mandates obtaining consent before conducting assessments interventions or research activities This ensures that all involved parties understand the nature of the research their rights potential risks and benefits and voluntarily agree to participate A Develop a comprehensive baseline assessment plan While crucial for the researchs methodological rigor conducting a baseline assessment involves direct observation and data collection on the students which cannot ethically proceed without prior consent B Interview the classroom teacher Interviewing stakeholders is a valuable indirect assessment method However gathering any form of data related to the research participants even indirectly generally requires consent from relevant parties eg the school allowing the interview and parents if the interview pertains specifically to their children D Select and validate a precise measurement system Choosing an appropriate measurement system is an essential part of the research design phase This planning step like all other research activities must be preceded by securing informed consent Without consent no aspect of the research can legitimately move forward into direct implementation or data collection