ERIC Number: EJ1130546
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1755-1382
EISSN: N/A
A Review of Research Ethics in Internet-Based Research
Convery, Ian; Cox, Diane
Practitioner Research in Higher Education, v6 n1 p50-57 2012
Internet-based research methods can include: online surveys, web page content analysis, videoconferencing for online focus groups and/or interviews, analysis of "e-conversations" through social networking sites, email, chat rooms, discussion boards and/or blogs. Over the last ten years, an upsurge in internet-based research (IBR) has led to increased interest in IBR and research ethics. Here we present some ethical guidelines for IBR while accepting that it would be unrealistic to expect that any single set of guidelines can cover all ethical situations concerning IBR. There is simply too much diversity across internet cultures, values and modes of operation for that to be the case. Perhaps the most useful solution to the complex challenges of IBR lies with a form of "negotiated ethics", a situated approach grounded in the specifics of the online community, the methodology and the research question(s). This does not mean an "anything goes" relativist approach, rather an open, pluralistic policy in relation to IBR ethical issues (Ess, 2009; AoIR, 2002).
Descriptors: Ethics, Research Methodology, Online Surveys, Web Sites, Content Analysis, Videoconferencing, Computer Mediated Communication, Web 2.0 Technologies, Guidelines, Privacy, Risk, Informed Consent, Participant Characteristics, Internet
University of Cumbria. Fusehill Street, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA1 2HH, United Kingdom. Tel: +44-1228-616338; e-mail: riple@cumbria.ac.uk; Web site: http://194.81.189.19/ojs/index.php/prhe
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative; Information Analyses
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A