[Air-l] online version of special issue on Internet research ethics available

[Charles Ess]

Colleagues:

I'm very pleased to announce that a forthcoming issue of _Ethics and
Information Technology_ will feature a series of significant essays on
Internet research ethics, including several from the AoIR ethics working
committee and AoIR more broadly, i.e.

Amy Bruckman
Dag Elgesem
Charles Ess
Kate O'Riordan 
Joe Walther
Michele White

Even better: thanks to the energy and initiative of Helen Nissenbaum and a
supporting grant from the National Science Foundation, these essays are now
available on the Web:

http://www.nyu.edu/projects/nissenbaum/projects_ethics.html

Readers of the AoIR ethics working committee report
(<www.aoir.org/reports/ethicsfinal.pdf>) will note that these essays play an
important role in helping to shape our discussion and reflection:
especially as we ready the report - in light of discussion and comments from
the AoIR 3.0 panel in Maastricht - for AoIR membership review and vote, I'm
pleased that these essays are now available for your review and use as well.

I commend these essays to your attention. As editor of the special issue, my
judgment is no doubt less than perfectly objective - but in my view, I think
it's quite fair to say that these essays will more than reward the attention
of anyone interested in exploring the complexities of Internet research
ethics.  Indeed, I think they'll stand as a high water mark and important
reference point for subsequent reflection and discussion of these issues.

Our thanks to the National Science Foundation for providing the funding that
made possible our bringing these contributors together originally as a panel
at the Computer Ethics: Professional Enquiries (CEPE) conference (Lancaster,
UK, December 14-16, 2001), as well as for the support of the special issue
of _Ethics and Information Technology_ and the affiliated website.  My
thanks especially to Helen Nissenbaum who first conceived of this project
and energetically pursued NSF funding.

Happy reading! 

Charles Ess
Director, Interdisciplinary Studies Center
Drury University
900 N. Benton Ave.                          Voice: 417-873-7230
Springfield, MO  65802  USA            FAX: 417-873-7435
Home page:  http://www.drury.edu/ess/ess.html
Co-chair, CATaC 2002: http://www.it.murdoch.edu.au/~sudweeks/catac02/

Exemplary persons seek harmony, not sameness. -- Analects 13.23