[Air-l] ethics of recording publicly observed interactions

Radhika Gajjala radhika at cyberdiva.org
Tue May 11 09:17:05 PDT 2004


I am so tempted to say "read my book" - but its not out yet. And really I 
provide no absolute formulas either.

Besides there's a lot of people (some on this list) who address these 
issues very well.

I suspect this is what this thread is about - wanting the answers before 
attempting the actual investigation at length - and engaging the context 
with all its complexities and contradictions.


What Beverley suggests takes on another kind of "nuance" in online spaces.

Didnt someone on this list already say - "get out there in the field" and 
START (and yes digital spaces are "fields" and have very real effects and 
consequences too). Also - do a lit search.

r

At 08:53 AM 5/11/2004 -0700, you wrote:
>--- Beverly Trayner <btrayner at esce.ips.pt> wrote:
> > Observing and recording people's interactions for
> > research purposes without
> > their permission conjures up images for me of a
> > prison guard in a
> > panoptican; a guard regardless of whether "the
> > prisoner" is talking loudly
> > or softly on their mobile phone, or writing in
> > public discussion forums.
>
>OK, but what about online spaces that could be
>considered forms of panopticon, such as the chat room,
>where anyone in the chat room (well, at least those
>who remain visible) can be observed by a variety of
>people at any given time? I realize there is a
>difference since researchers use data for academic
>purposes, but what about others in the space that also
>may observe and record what a person is saying? I
>think that the technology of online spaces needs to be
>taken into account. If a person enters this space, is
>it merely the researcher who acts as a form of the
>panopticon or the technology and the many others (in
>the chat room, for example) who are actively observing
>and, perhaps, recording in the space?
>
>Janet A.
>
>
>
>=====
>Janet Armentor, Doctoral Student
>Sociology Department, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
>Syracuse University
>email: jlarment at maxwell.syr.edu
>
>
>
>
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http://www.cyberdiva.org


blogs: http://www.cyberdiva.org/cyberdiv/october

research and teaching: http://personal.bgsu.edu/~radhik

info on forthcoming book: 
http://www.altamirapress.com/Catalog/SingleBook.shtml?command=Search&db=^DB/CATALOG.db&eqSKUdata=0759106924 






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