Ethical Research Constitution

Pre-Registration

We pre-register our research questions, hypotheses, and analysis plans before data collection begins. Pre-registration is filed with a public repository and timestamped. This prevents post-hoc adjustments that could bias findings toward funder-friendly conclusions.

Permitted exceptions

Exploratory analyses are permitted but must be clearly labeled as exploratory in all publications.
Rapid-response research (e.g., emerging safety incidents) may proceed with abbreviated pre-registration, documented within 72 hours.
Deviations from pre-registered plans must be documented and justified in the final publication.

Researcher Independence

Our researchers are equal partners in every engagement—not vendors executing a client's wishes. The research team retains final authority over:

Questions asked

We can add questions that funders did not request and override attempts to omit questions that matter.

Study design

We can reject methodological choices that compromise validity, even if requested by funders.

Analysis

We determine how data is analyzed; funders cannot request alternative analyses designed to yield preferred results.

Interpretation

We determine what findings mean; we will not soften language that accurately describes what we found.

Publication

We determine when and how findings are released (see Part II).

Transparency by Default

We open-source our methodologies, instruments, analysis code, and—where privacy permits—anonymized datasets. Transparency enables replication, builds public trust, and advances the field.

When constraints prevent full transparency, we will:

Document the specific constraint (legal, privacy, security).
Explain the limitation publicly.
Release the maximum possible within those constraints.

Consent and Privacy

We obtain clear, informed consent from all participants. For research involving minors, we require both parental consent and, where developmentally appropriate, youth assent.

Our commitments

Data minimization

We collect only what we need for the stated research purpose.

De-identification

We rigorously de-identify data before analysis and never publish information that could identify individuals.

No monetization

We never sell, license, or monetize personal data.

Right to withdraw

Participants can withdraw their data at any time prior to publication.

IRB oversight

All human subjects research undergoes Institutional Review Board review.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure

All researchers must disclose financial relationships, prior employment, equity holdings, and other material interests in entities we evaluate. Disclosures are:

Filed annually and updated within 30 days of any material change.
Published alongside relevant research findings.
Reviewed by the Research Ethics Committee, which may require recusal from specific projects.

Commitment to Publish

All findings that serve the public interest will be published, regardless of what they reveal or who they implicate. No funder, partner, board member, or subject of evaluation can suppress, delay, or veto publication.

Limited exceptions

Security vulnerabilities: We may delay publication to allow responsible disclosure of exploitable vulnerabilities, not to exceed 90 days.
Legal compliance: We will comply with valid legal orders, but will disclose the existence of such orders to the extent permitted by law.
Participant safety: We will not publish information that could endanger research participants.

Right of Rebuttal, Not Revision

Entities we evaluate may submit a written response, which we will publish alongside our findings. They may not:

Preview or approve our findings before publication.
Edit or revise our conclusions.
Delay publication beyond the time reasonably needed to prepare a response (not to exceed 14 days).
Condition future cooperation on favorable findings.

Funding Firewall

Independence is built into the structure of how money reaches CLARA Standards, not asserted through promises. CLARA Standards recognizes only one permissible role for any funder: contributor. Funding never purchases participation, access, or visibility of any kind.

Two roles, one permitted

Permitted: a funder may make a financial contribution and receive only what any individual donor receives—a tax receipt (where applicable) and acknowledgment in the public funder list. Prohibited: any role with influence, access, or advance visibility, including board, advisory, observer, working group, review panel, methodology, scoring, or evaluation roles, whether paid, unpaid, voluntary, advisory, observational, or honorary.

Pooled funding

PBC client revenue enters a general research fund; the Research Director allocates resources to projects independent of funding source.

Blinded allocation

Where possible, researchers are not informed which funder supported their specific project.

Restricted gift agreements

All funders sign agreements acknowledging they cannot influence research design, analysis, or publication.

Diversified Revenue Requirement

Once CLARA Standards is operating at steady state, no single funder, and no group of affiliated funders acting in concert, may represent more than 25% of annual revenue. Concentration creates dependence; dependence creates pressure—even when unspoken.

Implementation: If a funding relationship would exceed this threshold, we will either decline the excess funding or actively fundraise to restore balance within 12 months.

Funder Eligibility & Disclosure Standards

New

CLARA Standards' preferred funders are private foundations and philanthropic organizations whose support is unconditional—meaning the funder places no restrictions on the questions asked, methods used, findings reported, or timing and form of publication. Such unrestricted funding is the gold standard and will always be CLARA Standards' primary funding target.

As of April 2026, no current funder is a technology company, AI lab, platform, device maker, carrier, insurer, or trade association representing any of the foregoing (an “Industry Funder”), nor an affiliate, subsidiary, parent entity, or controlled foundation of any such entity.

Permitted funding sources

Private foundations, family foundations, and donor-advised funds providing unrestricted grants.
Government and multilateral agencies providing research grants with standard public-interest terms.
Individual donors.
Industry Funders, in the contributor role only, subject to the additional safeguards in this section. Industry funding never purchases participation, access, or visibility of any kind.
Impact investors and mission-aligned institutions, subject to standard funder agreements.

Prohibited funding conditions

Regardless of source, CLARA Standards will not accept funding that:

Restricts, delays, or conditions the publication of findings.
Specifies or limits the research questions, hypotheses, or populations studied.
Grants the funder review, approval, or veto rights over methodology or conclusions.
Requires CLARA Standards to provide favorable findings, certifications, or public statements as a condition of funding.
Is contingent on CLARA Standards refraining from evaluating the funder's products or competitors' products.
Is offered in exchange for any participatory role—board, advisory, observer, working group, methodology input, or advance access to findings.

Industry Funders — contributor-only role and additional safeguards

CLARA Standards recognizes that funding from technology companies, AI labs, platforms, device makers, carriers, insurers, or trade associations representing any of the foregoing—including their affiliates, subsidiaries, parent entities, controlled foundations, and philanthropic arms (collectively, “Industry Funders”)—creates a heightened perception of conflict, even when no actual conflict exists. Accordingly, all Industry Funder support is subject to the following additional conditions:

Contributor role only

Industry Funders may contribute funds and receive only what any individual donor receives. No Industry Funder—and no employee, officer, contractor, or designee of an Industry Funder—may hold a board seat, advisory seat, expert panel seat, observer or guest status at any governance, methodology, or ratings meeting, membership in any working group or pilot cohort, any role with methodology, scoring, or evaluation input, or any form of early access, embargoed access, or advance notice. This applies whether the role is paid, unpaid, voluntary, advisory, observational, or honorary.

Anti-circumvention

The contributor-only restriction extends to any third party acting on behalf of or substantially funded by an Industry Funder. Individuals currently or recently (within 24 months) employed by, contracted to, or holding equity in an Industry Funder are likewise excluded from participant roles.

Public disclosure

All Industry Funders are identified by name in CLARA Standards' annual transparency report and on clarastandards.org, including the amount, date, and stated purpose of the funding.

Mandatory recusal

Any Industry Funder whose products fall within CLARA Standards' evaluation scope is automatically recused from any evaluation of their own products. Recusal is documented publicly. Researchers working on a recused evaluation are not informed of the funding relationship until after findings are finalized.

Firewall certification

Prior to evaluation work, the Research Director certifies in writing that no funder influence has affected the evaluation design, methodology, or team composition. This certification is published alongside findings.

Lower concentration cap

Industry Funder support in aggregate—across all Industry Funders—may not exceed 15% of CLARA Standards' annual revenue, compared to the standard 25% cap for individual funders. This lower cap limits the sector's aggregate influence even when no single funder is dominant.

Note on the recusal-as-immunity risk: An Industry Funder that funds CLARA Standards and is therefore recused from evaluation does not thereby escape scrutiny. CLARA Standards will actively seek alternative funding to conduct evaluations of recused funders' products. The recusal registry is public; the absence of a company from CLARA Standards' evaluation portfolio is conspicuous, not invisible.

Funder agreement requirement

Every funder—regardless of source—must execute a standard Restricted Gift Agreement before funds are received. This agreement affirms the funder's acknowledgment that:

No rights to influence, review, delay, or suppress research or publication are granted.
CLARA Standards retains sole authority over research design, analysis, interpretation, and publication.
Violation of these terms renders the gift agreement void and obligates return of unspent funds.

Editorial Independence from Governance

The Board of Directors provides strategic oversight but cannot override publication decisions. Final authority over methodology and publication disputes rests with an independent Research Ethics Committee.

Research Ethics Committee composition

Majority external members (academic researchers, ethicists, child development experts).
No members with financial interest in entities CLARA Standards evaluates.
Staggered terms to ensure continuity.
Authority to hear appeals from researchers, review disputed findings, and enforce this constitution.

Whistleblower Protection

Any CLARA Standards employee may escalate concerns about research integrity, funder pressure, or violations of this constitution directly to the Research Ethics Committee. Retaliation against good-faith whistleblowers is grounds for termination of the retaliating party. The Committee will maintain a confidential reporting channel.

Amendment Threshold

These principles are designed to endure. To prevent erosion over time:

Sunset immunity

This constitution cannot be amended or waived for 10 years from adoption.

Supermajority requirement

After 10 years, amendments require 75% approval from both the Board of Directors and the Research Ethics Committee.

Public notice

Any proposed amendment must be published for 90-day public comment before vote.

Acquisition & Change of Control

In the event of acquisition, merger, or change of control of CLARA PBC, this constitution remains binding on the successor entity. Any acquirer must affirm in writing their commitment to uphold these principles as a condition of the transaction. The Research Ethics Committee retains authority to certify compliance.

Legal Embedding

This constitution is embedded in CLARA Standards' legal structure through:

PBC Charter

Research independence is a legally binding corporate purpose; directors have fiduciary duty to uphold it.

Non-Profit Bylaws

Mission protection clauses prevent drift from research integrity principles.

Bylaws Amendment Threshold

75% supermajority required to modify governance provisions protecting research independence.

Restricted Gift Agreements

Standard funder agreements include binding acknowledgment of non-interference.

Public Commitment

This constitution is published prominently; reputational cost of violation is high.