ethical research in the information age ITForum Paper #8 Ethical Research in the Information Age: Beginning the Dialogue Lynne Schrum The University of Georgia
"For them, it has become a public library, a mailbox, an intellectual bazaar and coffee klatch all rolled into a single electronic address." (McInnes, 1994, p. A1) A newspaper recently used that description in discussing individuals for whom the use of electronic networks has become part of the social infrastructure of their community. It is now possible to communicate with people all over the world for social, professional, and educational reasons, and new notions of what constitutes a community are encouraging a change in commonly used research tools. Researchers who study communities or explore on-line communications are adapting their activities to reflect the current change in communications. The impetus for this article came from a discussion at a qualitative conference during this researcher's session about electronic ethnographic research (Schrum, 1995). A lively interchange occurred, in which individuals expressed widely differing views. Several members of the audience felt that anything posted electronically was fair game for the researcher's lens and that gaining informed permission was not necessary, especially on comments posted to a listserv. Others felt just as strongly that online research required extra attention to ethical behavior. As the number of researchers looking at the nature of electronic communications grows, it will become even more essential that our research community engage in a dialogue regarding the transfer of ethical standards to this new medium. This paper touches on the possibilities of on-line research and reflects on the traditions of ethical qualitative research within the context of electronic communications. It then offers suggestions for appropriate ways in which to conduct such research. Qualitative methods "are a source of well-grounded, rich descriptions and explanations of processes occurring in local contexts" (Miles & Huberman, 1984, p. 15). Some consider the most important research instrument to be the researcher, and that a naturalistic setting is preferable to any other (Erlandson, Harris, Skipper, & Allen, 1993). These unique features of naturalistic research, the time spent with respondents, changes the nature of what we do. Noddings (1986) describes the ways in which qualitative researchers build trusting relationships with our respondents, and the nature of our desire to see these people as individuals, rather than as subject. How then does one study these new electronic (virtual) communities, given that the researcher cannot easily share a meal? How does one find Page 1
ethical research in the information age an ethical way into local context? One might describe these new ways of study as an amalgam, taking an ethnographic perspective, using interviews and participant observations, and intertwining this with electronic communications. Terms have evolved to describe the actions of these new researchers, such as electronic ethnographer, electronic participant observer, or tele-researcher. Regardless of the name, the task is similar, evolving, and not without difficulties. What must a researcher do in order to be able to gather information from ongoing or archived listservs, electronic mail or informal electronic discussions? Can we expect that the same rules apply to this research that apply to research conducted face to face? What is the nature of our responsibilities? Researchers must address the question, "What kind of research activity in cyberspace would constitute a clear violation of professional ethics?" (Jones, 1994, p. 30). Every qualitative researcher must create a delicate dialogical balance between "protection of the subjects versus freedoms to conduct research and to publish research findings" (Punch, 1994, p. 88). Stories abound of those who crossed the line between ethical and unethical activities, with the latter being those in which subjects were not even informed about their inclusion in the projects. Janesick maintains that the very nature of qualitative research, which brings the researcher in constant and personal contact with the participants, presents a "recurring ethical dilemma" (1994, p. 209). The issues are discussed in detail in my more extensive article, and include asking what responsibilities and decisions does an ethical qualitative researcher, or perhaps any ethical researcher, have to take in order to ensure electronic research maintains the highest possible standards? Several recommendations have emerged from this researcher's experiences as an electronic participant observer and from gathering resources for this article. First, questions that could begin a debate include: * Who owns archived material on listservs? * What responsibilities do researchers have in using electronic communications as the "field" of their study? * What rights do individuals have with respect to their electronic communications to others via e-mail? to lists? to papers they have allowed to be posted electronically? The list of guidelines at the end of this article will serve as a starting point toward the establishment of ethical guidelines. Second, all members of the academic community, especially those engaged in research using or about electronic communications, need to understand the scope of constitutional communication rights. We "should provide the leadership in developing and adopting policies that maximize the freedom to express ideas and arguments" (Smith, 1994, p. 96). For if researchers do not take the lead, and develop ethical guidelines for themselves, others may decide to do it. Third, it is incumbent on those who have embraced electronic communications, for collaboration, research, and interaction, to commit "to more serious participation in the process of dialogue and negotiation with other players in the national policy discussion" (Lyman, 1995, p 35). As decisions are being made, those with experience with both academic research and electronic communications must step into the debate. Branscomb, a communications lawyer, said that the conflicts that arise are, "indicative of the confusion surrounding legal concepts Page 2
ethical research in the information age that have survived the test of time in the non-computer world but may not stand up to scrutiny in the electronic context" (1991, p. 157). Electronic communication has changed the fundamental nature of the teaching, learning, and researching process for many of us in academe. Although the field changes almost daily, it is not too early to begin a dialogue that will support our efforts and establish our credibility well into the future. Ethical Electronic Research Guidelines These guidelines begin with an understanding that researchers seek to be ethical, honest, and inclusive. I refer readers to a variety of discussions on this topic which incorporate naturalistic inquiry, evaluation, critical theorists, and feminist perspectives (Erickson, 1986; Erlandson, Harris, Skipper, & Allen, 1993; Guba & Lincoln, 1989; Kincheloe & McLaren, 1994; Lather, 1991; Reinharz, 1992). * Researchers must begin with an understanding of the basic tenets for conducting ethical qualitative research. * Researchers should consider the respondents and participants as owners of the materials that are created; the respondents should have the ability to modify or correct statements for spelling, substance, or language. * Researchers need to describe in detail the goals of the research, purposes to which the results will be put, plans of the researcher to protect participants, and recourse open to those who feel mistreated. * Researchers should strive to create a climate of trust, collaboration, and equality with the electronic community members, within an environment that is non-evaluative and safe. * Researchers should negotiate their entry into an electronic community, beginning with the owner of the discussion, if one exists. After gaining that entry, they should make their presence known in any electronic community, (for example, a listserv, specialized discussion group, or electronic class format), as frequently as necessary to inform to all participants of their presence and engagement in electronic research. * Researchers should treat electronic mail as private correspondence that is not to be forwarded, shared, or used as research data unless express permission is given. * Researchers have an obligation to begin by informing participants as much as possible about the purposes, activities, benefits, and burdens that may result from their being studied. * Researchers must inform participants as to any risks that might result from their agreeing to be part of the study--especially psychological or social risks. * Researchers must respect the identity of the members of the community, with special efforts to mask the origins of the communication, unless express permission to use identifying information is given. * Researchers must be aware of the steep learning curve for electronic communications. Information about the research should Page 3
ethical research in the information age be placed a variety of accessible formats. * Researchers have an obligation to the electronic community in which they work and participate to communicate back results of their work. References Branscomb, A. W. (1991). Common law for the electronic frontier. */Scientific American/*, *265*(3), 112-116. Erickson, F. (1986). Qualitative methods in research on teaching. In M. C. Wittrock (Eds.), */Handbook of research on teaching/* (pp. 119-161). New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. Erlandson, D. A., Harris, E. L., Skipper, B. L., & Allen, S. D. (1993). */Doing naturalistic inquiry./* Newbury Park, CA: SAGE Publications. Guba, E. G., & Lincoln, Y. S. (1989). */Fourth generation evaluation./* Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications. Janesick, V. J. (1994). The dance of qualitative research design: Metaphor, methodolatry, and meaning. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), */Handbook of qualitative research/* (pp. 209-219). Newbury Park, CA: Sage, Publications. Jones, R. A. (1994). The ethics of research in cyberspace. */Internet Research/*, *4*(3), 30-35. Kincheloe, J. L. & McLaren, P. L. (1994). Rethinking critical theory and qualitative research. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), */Handbook of qualitative research/* (pp. 138-157). Newbury Park, CA: Sage, Publications. Lather, P. (1991). */Getting smart: Feminist research and pedagogy with/in the postmodern./* New York: Routledge. Lyman, P. (1995). Copyright and fair use. */Educom Review/*, *30*(1), 33-35. McInnes, C. (1994, December 28). Like library, free-net brings data to the masses. */Globe and Mail/*, A1, A6. Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1984). */Qualitative data analysis./* Newbury Park, CA: SAGE Publications. Noddings, N. (1986). Fidelity in teaching, teacher education, and research for teaching. */Harvard Educational Review/*, *56*(4), 496-510. Punch, M. (1994). Politics and ethics in qualitative research. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), */Handbook of Qualitative Research/* (pp. 83-97). Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications. Reinharz, S. (1992). */>Feminist methods in social research./* New York: Oxford University Press. Schrum, L. (1995, ). */Qualitative research in the information age: Electronic ethnographic tools./* Paper presented at the Qualitative Research in Education Conference, Athens, GA. Smith, S. (1994). Communication and the constitution in cyberspace. */Communication Education/*, *43*(April), 87-101. Page 4
ethical research in the information age *** [This short article is derived from a more comprehensive discussion, "Framing the Debate: Ethical Research in the Information Age," which will be published in the Fall, 1995 issue of the */journal, Qualitative Inquiry/*, *1*(3), 311-326] Lynne Schrum 607 Aderhold Department of Instructional Technology University of Georgia Athens, GA 30602 Phone: (706) 542-4159 Fax: (706) 542-4032 E-mail: lschrum@coe.uga.edu -----------------------------------------------------------------------The buttons that appear below will be found at the bottom of each page of the discussion. The first button will take you back to the previous page (in this case, to the beginning of paper #8). The middle button will take you to the ITForum home page. The last button takes you forward into the discussion as it progressed on-line. <paper8.html> <http://itech1.coe.uga.edu/itforum/home.html> <disc8.html>
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