[Air-L] Ethics of a student project

[Dan L. Burk]

There was in interesting dust-up over a similar class project at Fordham a
couple of years ago -- this was reported in quite a few papers:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/18/technology/internet/18link.html?_r=0

DLB

> Hi Jill,
> I have done a version of this in a class exercise where I divided the
> class into groups and each group had to find out as much as possible
> about either me or the other instructor. The rules where that they could
> not carry out any illegal acts but otherwise everything was allowed. The
> goal was not the actual information but the presentations where they had
> to interpret the information they found and to judge its reliability. At
> the time I had a large web presence while the other instructor had less
> of a web presence. Both of us had unique names, were at the same stage
> in our careers and about the same age. The project was interesting and
> most students had fun with it.
>
> One problem that we encountered was that many groups took out credit
> reports on us. This didn't really bother me but I admit I wasn't
> expecting this move. We also realized that we would have to prevent this
> in future exercises as taking out a large number of credit reports can
> impact ones credit rating (at least in Sweden).
>
> I think the project can be interesting and informed consent should cover
> the ethical question but as the situation above illustrates it is
> difficult to recognize the unforeseen consequences.
>
> Mathias
>
> On 21/08/14 08:05 am, Jill Walker Rettberg wrote:
>> One of our upper-level undergrads would like to write a paper about
>> privacy using a slightly unusual methodology: he wants to find five
>> informants who are willing to let him google them exhaustively in order
>> to find out everything he can about them using legal, public online
>> methods. Then he wants to show each informant the information and
>> interview them, asking things like "did you know this information about
>> you was accessible?" and more in order to find out something about what
>> information people think is available about them, what is actually
>> available about them, and how people feel about all the information out
>> there about them and the possible disconnect between what they think and
>> what is in fact out there.
>>
>> My gut reaction is that I wouldn't want to let a researcher "stalk" me
>> online like that, and if I wouldn't want to be an informant maybe I
>> shouldn't allow the project, right? But I'm also guessing that the
>> project might be approved by the ethics board so long as there is clear,
>> informed consent. And it'd be interesting to see the results.
>>
>> But beyond the ethics board: what do you think about a methodology like
>> this? Do you share my gut reaction or am I overreacting? Would you let a
>> student do it? And what might be better ways for a student to do a small
>> scale research project on this topic?
>>
>> Jill
>>
>>
>> Jill Walker Rettberg
>> Professor of Digital Culture
>> Dept of Linguistic, Literary and Aesthetic Studies
>> University of Bergen
>> Postboks 7800
>> 5020 Bergen
>>
>> + 47 55588431
>>
>> Blog - http://jilltxt.net
>> Twitter - http://twitter.com/jilltxt
>>
>> My latest book, Blogging (2nd ed), will be available from Polity from
>> September 20: http://www.politybooks.com/book.asp?ref=0745663648
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>
> --
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Mathias Klang,
> Associate Professor, University of Göteborg
> Website: http://klangable.com
> US Cell: 215 882 0989
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
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