Ethical Issues Qualitative Research On Internet Communities Media Essay

Ethical Issues Qualitative Re calculate On Internet Communities Media Essay moral philosophy are al slipway considered in conducting affectionate investigate. Ethic is a set of principles, moral duties and obligations that guides the conduct of people (Ameri pot punitory Health Services Association, 2010). For social research, ethical is to conform to the standards of conduct of a given profession or conclave (Babbie 2007, p62). Gener altogethery, on that point are four ethical principles should be concerned in conducting social research including no persecute to participants, cognizant comply, voluntary participation, and privacy and mystic.Here, Qualitative research into meshwork communities has created new ethical expel of sure give for. Informed acquiesce direction that subjects must base their voluntary participation in research projects on a full conceiveing of the possible risks involved, (Babbie, p64). In fact, the research on profit communities has led to a violation of this principle. Internet communities such(prenominal) as interchange boards, mailing lists, chat rooms, or news separates, provide voluminous entropy near peoples opinion or daily experiences. It is useful for researchers to obtain applicable data, such as just about patient self-importance concentrate communities sacramental manduction their personal experiences. Researchers trick gateway to those communities for acquiring information and observation. However, it brings a bother that nearly meshing communities sections do non want to be the research subjects and being monitored. Researchers might be intruders and damage the communities. Here, members are not the voluntary participants. Then, advised consent here may not work.Besides, in that location is too harm to research subjects on the internet communities when researchers are kindle in sixth sense research. For example, some of the members on Breast Cancer Mailing itemisation claim that th ey do not want to be observed. When researchers are gaining insight personal experience about the breast cancer patients, it can repeat their negative memories which lead distress to them.And the second main ethical issue is that thither is a risk of disclosing to the privacy and confidentiality of internet communities member. Privacy and confidential is about the researcher can identify a given persons responses exactly promises not to do so habitually (Babbie 2007, p65). Since internet contains m either of decently search engines such as Google, it can search anything a exploiter wants. For example, when the authors search for the Dejanews archive to find comments of newsgroup participants responding to researchers requests, it can show many of related to messages.Another issue on privacy and confidentiality is that there could be sundry(a) pitfalls for researchers. Particularly researchers may unintentionally violate the privacy of some members due to the blur propertys of internet. For example, so far if researchers remove any personal information about research subjects, they may also br severally the participants confidentiality due to the power of search engines. Thus, privacy and confidential on internet community is difficult to achieved. nomenclature 482The authors distinguish three different types of research into internet communities. Summarise them in your own words. (400 words)Generally, the three types of research methods may admit the passive analysis, rest little analysis, and identifying themselves as such and gathering information in the form of development internet.First, the first type is the passive analysis which the researchers would not actively participate in the online mull. However, they would focus on the studies of information patterns on websites, interactions on debateion groups through observation. They may analysis those studies about support mechanisms, and content of online self help groups for some patients like colorectal cancer, breast cancer, Alzheimers disease, and eating disorders. arcminute is the active analysis which is the researchers would participant in such internet communications. That sum researchers try to be a participant to communicate with others. For instance, researchers would determine whether the responses to health care questions on the Usenet accurate or not.And the third type is that researchers would identify themselves as and gather information by using different forms of online methods. They may include online semi structured interview, online focus groups, or internet based surveys or use the internet to recruit participant for traditional research. Therefore, it is a to a greater extent diverse way for researchers to use.Words 213Research into Internet communities blur the boundaries between unexclusive and clubby space. Describe the issues identified in the article. (400 words)In the article, it verbalise there is a difficulty to dichotomize the bound aries between public and secret space appropriately during the process obtaining an inform consent from research subjects.In fact, research into internet communities is quite different to the traditional research for obtaining informed consent. Traditionally, informed consent is required when the research is occurred in a private context where individuals are expect there is no observation or reporting is taking place. If it is a public space, the research about natural observation is acceptable without obtaining consent from those subjects. And it does not require Research Ethics Board to review when the research is about observation, as it can be expected participants are desire public visibility. Therefore, it has more exit boundaries between public and private space.However, research into internet communities may blur such boundaries as people participate in online sermon groups cannot be presume to be seeking public visibility. And there are various ways of defining publi c or private space from researchers and internet communities users. Here, some issues are identified which relate to how to perceive the train of privacy in internet communities.Firstly, it noted that most of the subscribers are likely to see the group as a private space in cyberspace when a subscription or some form of registration is required to access a discussion group. Therefore, when there is a registration in that internet community, it is a private space.Secondly, it is pointed out the numbers of (real or assumed) users of a community determines how a public is. The public space is perceived to be a batting order to mailing lists with 10 subscribers here is different 100 or super acid subscribers in mailing lists. However, the problem now is that it is impossible to determine the material or assumed users when sending messages as some messages may blood line in web accessible archives. Therefore, using the number of determining the space is public or not may cause the b lur of boundaries.Finally, the light of privacy sometimes is depended on an individual groups norms and codes, target audience, and aim may lay down in the frequently asked questions or information files of internet communities. In this way, it is firstly not easy for researcher to distinguish whether it is a private or public space. More importantly, researchers cannot access to those individual groups as they have set some norms and policies which not allow them to observe those subjects even researchers interested in. For example, a self support group of intimate tread survivors has a group policy not allow those who were not sexual abuse survivors participating in.On the whole, research into internet communities blurs the boundaries between public and private space where it is difficult to determine these two spaces appropriately. The article in the main identified some issues about the level of privacy or the types into internet communities are various.Words 480Using an exam ple of an internet community old(prenominal) to you, how might informed consent be obtained to study that community and discuss any problems in the methods you suggest? (800 words)Internet communities provide conveniences and rich information for qualitative research. However, how informed consent might be obtained is a problem that researchers encounter. Here, an example of internet community will be apply to show the method of obtaining informed consent. And also discuss the problem may rise.One of the internet communities I familiar to is the discussion board from Facebook. It can connect many of different self support groups. Particularly, an example of support group that I ac knowledge is the SoulTalk which has established within Facebook. SoulTalk is a non-profit brass section with website and discussion board in Facebook. It provides professional, personalized care, support and resources for women share with ruttish or relationship crisis. In the discussion board, it is a private group which solo opens for its members to share emotional and experiences. Moreover, there are professional counselors helping members to solve problems.There are about 20 members within this discussion board, which they share their experiences about emotional problems. For those who are not the members can only view the basic information and no sharing is allowed. For someone who wants to access this discussion board, they can request for join it but should be substantiate by the group decision maker. At first, we should register to be a member of Facebook. And then we can be the member of that community.While the researchers want to study this community, they may firstly need to register to Facebook and then wait for the check of this community. Since this discussion board is a private group, it can be expected that all the information and data from the members are confidential, and they are not seeking public visibility. Therefore, informed consent is required to st udy this online community.First, as suggested by McCleary (2007), getting permission to enter the group from the administrators is necessary when studying that community. Since they know that community better than researchers, therefore, it should be a better way to understand the group norms or standards from that community, and what would be the best way to obtain consent from members. To obtain the permission from the group organizer, the researchers should explain their purposive of the research, and what form of the members data would be analyzed, and how they ensure that there will be no harm to members.Then, when there is a need to analyze the research result by quoting or using the postings of members, it is important to send emails and ask retrospectively each member of informed consent. Informed consent should note the content of consent form should explain the purpose of the research, and provide a description of any reasonably risks or discomforts to the subjects (Franke l and Siang 1999). Also, it should state the extent of members confidentiality of records would be used and maintained. In this way, members may know more about the research and the possible risks to them, thus, it can give members the considerations whether to withdraw or not. For example, to explain the obtained of their data would only be used in report with anonymity. If members are still refused to participate in, there are also alternatives to them withdraw from the analysis of research. Therefore, the ethical principle of obtaining informed consent can be maintained. Moreover, there will be less intrusive in this way and avoid the artificial of the stories made by participants.Indeed, the methods bring some problems. First, the method of asking each member of consent is quite time consuming and unmanageable. As said by Eysenbach and savings bank (2001), the email address may not be valid and some of them would respond to you. Thus, it may cause some troubles where researcher s do not know the email is valid or not. And it is quite difficult for researchers to receive all the consent forms and analyze the result. It generally would be a problem of obtaining informed consent.Also, there would be also a problem that it is possible the administrator does not allow to access the discussion group where the researchers are interested in studying that issue. Therefore, it brings disadvantage to researchers. Besides, even if the administrator allows researchers to enter the group, it does not mean that all of other members agree their information is disclosed.Although researchers may try to conform to the ethical principles to obtain members consent, some of the members indeed do not expect and want to be research subjects. They may perceive researchers as intruders as a result of damaging that community. For example, after the members knowing there are researcher lurking on the discussion board, they may decide to pass around the community. Therefore, it is a possible problem that this method of informed consent brings out.On the whole, researcher can identify whether the discussion board as a private space from the example because it has stated that the board would open to non-members. So, it is clear for researchers to follow the ethical principles. However, it still brings problems that cannot be solved during the process of obtaining informed consent which the above have stated. More importantly, the deeper problem should be considered is there is no a consistent guideline to define the boundaries between public or private spaces. Therefore, it brings difficulty to researchers when conducting online research particularly the different level of measuring private spaces.Words 885Total words 2060