Practicing feminist approaches to social media research

In this paper we answer a question that has collectively plagued us for some time: How can we design social media research projects to better centre feminist research ethics? As a site where data is produced about everyday embodied experiences, in relation to places and natures, social media is frequently used in geographic research. Ethical issues emerge related to private/public data, confidentiality, and consent, especially in cases where social media users are not directly engaged in the research process. As feminist geographers, we extend discussions around ethics to explore why it is so challenging to apply feminist research ethics – including: reflexivity, relationality, accountability, transformational change, and knowledge disruption – in social media research. We collectively reflect on two recent research projects to identify specific research design practices that helped or could help us centre feminist research ethics. We conclude with practical suggestions for how to implement a feminist ethical approach to social media research moving forward, conclusions relevant to all geographers and not just those who self-identify as feminist.