It is of extreme importance that my research be guided by ethical standards. In order to ensure good practice, I have noted the points of concern in my data collection to be aware of when conducting online questionnaires, interviews, and drawing from social media posts.

 

  1. Where social media is concerned, privacy is of the utmost concern. Because so much personal information is available on social media platforms, it is important to respect participants’ boundaries and limit source material to public posts. Additionally, if using social media screenshots, it is important to properly obscure the poster’s name and image in order to protect their privacy. Trolls are common, and can exploit the smallest information.
  2. Transparency of my role as a researcher is another requirement. In any research account on Twitter or other social media, the object and methods of my research must be explicit to leave no room for misinterpretation of misunderstanding. This means announcing my identity in the form of profile bios, posts, etc. Furthermore, my goals and methods must be made clear at the beginning of any Skype interview. Technical language should be avoided in order not to obscure the nature of my research.
  3. Giving back to participants is an important piece of ethnography. In the case of online activism, the least I can do is take the same level of involvement in a movement as my participants. This means taking part in social media posting surrounding the topic in order to add a voice to the dissemination of information.
  4. The use of any individual’s voice requires consent. This means using images or text from posts, quotes from interviews, or responses to questionnaires.