Research ethics in the facebook era: Privacy, anonymity, and oversight

Abstract

Ethical standards for human subjects research have not kept up with new research paradigms. Several research areas are particularly problematic for the CHI community. Online social research is testing the boundaries of public observation, third-party disclosure, and anonymization methods. Furthermore, there are differences in norms about what is and is not ethical among various research disciplines studying the Web. This SIG brings together members of the CHI community who are interested in research ethics for studying the Web. We invite seasoned veterans from industry and academia, educators, and newcomers to the field to share their experiences and advice, ask questions, and to form an interest group that can help shape university and corporate best practices for online research.