Internet research ethics involves the research ethics of Internet research, with an emphasis on scientific research carried out via the Internet.

Especially well-known to those interested in bioethics are the Belmont Principles^[1] They provide a useful conceptual framework for consideration of issues in research ethics relevant to the protection of human subjects involved in biomedical or behavioral research.

[edit] Guidelines

• Ess, Charles & the AOIR Ethics working committee (11/27/02). Ethical decision-making and Internet research: Recommendations from the aoir ethics working committee.
• Amy Bruckman, Assistant Professor Affiliation: College of Computing Georgia Institute of Technology (4/4/02). Ethical Guidelines for Research Online.
• Ella Epshteyn and Kirsti A. Dyer, MD, MS Affiliation: OHSU. The Ethics of Online Research (Winter Quarter 2001)].
• John Suler (Feb. 2000). Ethics in cyberspace research: Consent, privacy and contribution.. The Psychology of cyberspace. Archived from the original on 2005-12-09 17:40:51.
• AAAS (June 10-11, 1999). Ethical and Legal Aspects of Human Subjects Research on the Internet: a Report of a Workshop (PDF). The American Association for the Advancement of Science.

[edit] Research Papers

• Dag Elgesem. What is special about the ethical issues in online research?. Retrieved on 11/15/2006.
• Research Ethics in Internet-Enabled Research: Human Subjects Issues and Methodological Myopia Dag Elgesem. What is special about the ethical issues in online research?. Retrieved on 11/15/2006.
• Ethical issues in qualitative research on internet communities Dag Elgesem. What is special about the ethical issues in online research?. Retrieved on 11/15/2006.
• Informed Consent in the Study of Online Communities: A Reflection on the Effects of Computer-Mediated Social Research Dag Elgesem. What is special about the ethical issues in online research?. Retrieved on 11/15/2006.
• Gunther Eysenbach and James Till (Nov 10, 2001). "Ethical issues in qualitative research on internet communities. BMJ 323 (7321): 1103-05. DOI:10.1136/bmj.323.7321.1103. Till, Jim (11/18/1997). Online Survey Research.

  [edit] Problematic Examples

  • I am a research assistant for a project that involves studying participants in a website for a particular deviant sexuality. I think my research methodology is unethical, but my supervisor disagrees. What can I do? Is the internet a public or private place?

  [edit] See Also

  • eCommunity Analysis (Listmining)
  • Ethics of participant observation online: privacy v. public goods in CSCW: Designing Online Communities
  • International Sociological Association's code of ethics