[Air-L] blogs and confidentiality

[egodard@csun.edu]

Googling vs password protection is a weak distinction. Not all public sites are crawlable by Google. And many password "protected" sites require no validation, verification, or even confirmation to restrict access, and are therefore "accessible to all" who invest 12 seconds to "register" a password.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless Phone

----- Reply message -----
From: "Burcu Bakioglu" <bbakiogl at gmail.com>
To: "jeremy hunsinger" <jhuns at vt.edu>
Cc: "C Sosnowy" <c_sosnowy at yahoo.com>, "air-l at listserv.aoir.org" <air-l at listserv.aoir.org>
Subject: [Air-L] blogs and confidentiality
Date: Sat, Nov 26, 2011 1:20 pm


The rule of thumb is this: if you can access the same information just by
Googling, you don't need IRB or any consent. If forum threads are
accessible by all, it is free game. If the information is on password
protected sites than you *must* get permission (and IRB).  If online
discussions are on a closed site, they require permission etc... The fact
that they are using usernames and their identities are protected only means
is irrelevant. This only means that IRB will give you an exempt permission,
that is, they won't have to review the process every other month or so. You
would get your permission from the IRB regardless and they will be off your
back till the finish time comes.

At least that is my understanding and I conducted 3 field works for my
dissertation. This is what the IRB told me.

Best.

On Sat, Nov 26, 2011 at 11:24 AM, jeremy hunsinger <jhuns at vt.edu> wrote:

> I am confused, you said they weren't public when they were on a closed
> site.  then you said they were publicly available.  if it is closed, it
> isn't publicly available without permission.
> On Nov 26, 2011, at 12:19 PM, C Sosnowy wrote:
>
> > For my dissertation on personal health blogs, I will be conducting a
> visual content analysis of 40-50 blogs. I will then be conducting an online
> discussion with 10-12 bloggers on a closed site. Their identity will be
> protected by a username of their choice, but can I use the real URL and
> name of their blogs (I would tell them that I'm doing this)? I'm of the
> opinion that I can because they are publicly-available, but one of my more
> traditional advisers has doubts. Any thoughts?
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Collette Sosnowy
> > _______________________________________________
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> Jeremy Hunsinger
> Communication Studies
> Wilfrid Laurier University
> Center for Digital Discourse and Culture
> Virginia Tech
>
>
>
> Imagination is the one weapon in the war against reality.
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-- 
Thanks,

Burcu S. Bakioglu, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow in New Media
Lawrence University

http://www.palefirer.com
http://palefirer.com/blog/

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