[Air-L] research regs.

[Jeremy Hunsinger]

On Aug 12, 2007, at 7:06 AM, Ed Lamoureux wrote:

>
> On Aug 11, 2007, at 11:54 PM, Marj Kibby wrote:
>
>>
>> Doesn't this say clearly that if the blog (publicly available)  
>> already
>> exists before your study begins, and was not set up for the  
>> purpose of
>> your study then it is exempt?
>>
>> Marj
>
> Yes as along as the data set is "finished" before IRB review . . .
> HOWEVER, that's under the condition that the data cannot be tracked
> back to the individual.

this is not the way it works.  individual data can be tracked back if  
it is published.  private data is the issue.  private data is not  
broadly defined, but includes financial data and medical data so long  
as it isn't published.   for instance, paris hilton's finances are  
private on the one hand but huge parts are now made public.  we can  
research and reveal the public parts.   similarly talking about  
president bushes bowel health as reported in the media... is fine.



> In that case, one would (at the U of I) need
> informed consent.

nope, it is published text, no subjects involved.  It depends on the  
argument that you make, but the federal guidelines are pretty clear.


> .If/when I collect materials from subjects f-2-f (in
> public or private with or without consent, depending on what I'm
> doing)

what is a subject?  what are the defining characteristics?
a. someone intervened with
b. someone whose private data is used

there is no federally defined subject in blog research until you  
interact with them, or use data that they have not made publicly  
available.  for instance, if you reveal the name of a pseudonymous  
blogger... you have created a subject by mixing private knowledge  
with public knowledge.





jeremy hunsinger
Information Ethics Fellow, Center for Information Policy Research,  
School of Information Studies, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee  
(www.cipr.uwm.edu)

() ascii ribbon campaign - against html mail
/\ - against microsoft attachments

http://www.aoir.org The Association of Internet Researchers
http://www.stswiki.org/ stswiki
http://cfp.learning-inquiry.info/  LI-the journal
http://transdisciplinarystudies.tmttlt.com/  Transdisciplinary  
Studies:the book series