Internet Research Ethics: A CSCW Community Discussion

Abstract

Research ethics continues to be an important topic of conversation within the HCI and social computing communities, especially regarding the specific ethical challenges raised by internet research. Developing a shared understanding of ethical norms is complicated by the diverse disciplinary traditions, evolving technologies and methods, and multiple geographic and cultural settings of researchers in these communities. Drawing on experiences of the SIGCHI Research Ethics Committee as well as empirical work towards developing best ethical practices for internet research, this Special Interest Group will discuss current practices and challenges in studying people and data online, covering the full research life-cycle from the crafting of research ideas, through study design, data collection, analysis, and then dissemination. This conversation will benefit from diverse voices and perspectives to help us all learn from each other and critically engage with our research community’s values and ethical commitments.