This is a code of ethics to help guide research practices when observing YouTube videos. This method can be a useful tool for viewing occurrences that one might otherwise not have access to, or for analyzing discourses present in videos. Because of the wide variety of videos uploaded to YouTube, approaches will differ based on the type of video and the creator’s intentions in uploading it. In particular, this code of ethics aims to balance concerns for privacy with questions of authorship and attribution. Here are some guidelines to consider:

  1. Evaluate what expectations for privacy video creators would have had when uploading to YouTube. While the videos are on a public platform, people who upload home videos or footage of their families, for instance, would likely not expect them to circulate beyond their own social circles—these videos should be anonymized. On the other hand, those creating videos for an audience may hope to have their content circulate more widely, and should be given attribution. This can be determined by noting whether the videos directly address an audience, or whether they are promoted on public websites or social media.
  2. In videos created for an audience, consider whether any subjects are pictured other than the video creator—did these people know they were being filmed, and would they have had an expectation of privacy? For example, footage of protests that shows the faces of protesters should be anonymized, even if posted by a public figure.
  3. Recognize that videos, even home videos or videos that appear to simply capture public events, are actively created works. Take into account the intentions of the people who filmed, uploaded, and circulated a video. It may make more sense to use videos to analyze the portrayal of events or their online circulation, rather than to simply analyze the events themselves.
  4. Be aware that videos can be misleading and may not be representative of offline phenomenon. Misinformation can of course be studied, but should be identified as such.
  5. Avoid providing personal information beyond what is presented in a video or on a channel page. Use YouTube usernames rather than names, and don’t aim to find personal information that is not made publicly available by a creator.