[Air-l] Research question: interviewing online subjects?

[Mary-Helen Ward]

Usually the original approach to the participant includes the  
information of who they can complain to. I think this is pretty  
standard in successful ethics applications. You would usually start  
by complaining to the ethics committee at the institution that  
sponsored or approved the research.

Ethics committees usually provide guidelines for these things,  
although they may need some stretching to include online studies.   
There is usually someone employed by the institution to explain these  
guidelines.

That said, I didn't mention this specific issue on my ethics  
application and the committee that approved it didn't  either.

M-H

On 18/05/2007, at 11:23 AM, Erika Pearson wrote:

> Hello all
>
> I've been reading the general sociology literature on conducting
> interviews as part of a research project, and some of the literature
> I have come across makes a point of noting that interviewers should
> be warning interviewees that any illegal or immoral behaviours
> uncovered during the course of the research/interview may be reported
> (for example, Adler and Adler, 2003).
>
> My questions in regards to this are:
> 1)  Are those who have or are conducting online interviews or even
> interviews about internet issues making a point of such cautions? ( I
> suspect the two approaches have two separate answers).  What are
> others' experiences of this as practice?
>
> 2)  If so, what is the benchmark for classifying acceptable and
> unacceptable behaviours? (i.e.: the laws and norms of the
> interviewers context?  Those of the physical jurisdiction of the
> interviewee, if known?  The norms of the virtual group, network, or
> community under study?)
>
> I browsed through the AoIR Ethics Committee document on Internet
> research, and (as I read it) there seemed to be an implication that
> the physical jurisdiction of the research subject was the prime
> candidate for setting a legal or ethical standard more generally in
> regards to proper treatment of research subjects, but that was just
> my sense on a first reading.  I would be very interested to hear the
> thoughts and experiences of others on this matter.  I admit, as I was
> reading this, my first thought was 'who would I report it to anyway!'
>
> I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
>
> with thanks
> erika