We have created the following code of ethics to both guide our behavior as we enter field work and to attempt to lessen the harm that can be done by the field of anthropology. Each researcher will face different ethical questions depending on their field and their own backgrounds but we hope that this code will aid all researchers in being respectful of their participants.

 

  1. Anonymity should be maintained wherever possible but the ethnographer should maintain the participants appraised of any information that may be released.
  2. If you are interviewing participants about potentially traumatic virtual experiences, you should center your questions around their experiences and their feelings – there should be no victim blaming or personal opinions introduced during this process.
  3. Any screenshots used should be used only with the full informed consent of the account in the screenshot and all confidential information should be censored out.
  4. The goal of the interview should be made explicitly and clearly laid out for the participant and you should make your intentions clear from the outset.
  5. When the investigation is complete, the results should be shared with the participants so that there is full transparency about how their information has been used.