Open tracking noise study: study protocol

Define the decision

This page is a proposed research protocol, not a completed study or a report of findings. The decision is: How often does the instrument record an image request without the controlled reader opening the message? The observation unit is one test message and one documented reader action. Define the population and owner before collecting records; do not substitute an available convenience dataset without documenting the change.

Work through the procedure

1. Capture send time, image request time, client version, privacy setting and an independent reader action log.
2. Use owned seed accounts. Randomize the order of privacy-on, privacy-off and images-blocked conditions; include messages intentionally left unread.
3. Before collection, write the primary outcome, observation window, exclusion rules and stopping conditions. Preserve excluded observations with a reason rather than quietly removing them.
4. Pilot the procedure with fictional or owned test data, resolve ambiguous fields, and freeze a dated protocol version before the main run.

Worked example

The following is a synthetic example for this procedure, not a customer result or performance benchmark.

message T01; reader action none; remote image request observed; classify as instrument activity, not confirmed reading
Suggested record fields: observation_id, condition, evidence_reference, outcome, exclusion_reason, reviewer, protocol_version
Status: illustrative record only; no study has been run for this page.

Read the result

Report event counts by client condition. Do not generalize a small seed matrix to your entire recipient population. Keep the numerator, denominator and missing evidence visible. If the available observations cannot answer the registered question, report that limitation rather than selecting a more favorable metric after collection.

Collect the evidence

Observation unit: message-client-condition.

Owned seed inboxes and a separate reader-action log.

Randomize condition order; include unopened controls and record settings.

Analysis: Image requests without a recorded human open, by controlled client condition.

Download the JSON collection template under Source references. Set an owner, eligibility rules, outcome definition, observation window and sample justification before collecting records. Templates contain no participant data or results; keep original private records outside the public website.

Check before moving on

1. Name the person responsible for collection and review.
2. Check that the evidence can be inspected without exposing private messages or credentials.
3. Record deviations from the protocol and analyze their possible effect.
4. Retain a dated, redacted evidence worksheet with the final interpretation.

Limits and next action

Changing security or privacy settings changes the experiment; record the setting instead of inferring a person’s behavior. Publish results only after the evidence, method and limitations have been reviewed. This protocol provides no benchmark, expected lift or completed-study claim.

Source: Method or workflow reference