Rants, Ratings and Representation: ethical issues in researching online social practices

This article takes as its field of interest education-related research that is conducted online. It engages directly with issues concerning ethical research conduct when investigating online practices, with reference to studies whose data is drawn solely from cyberspaces, as well as to studies that include an Internet-based investigation component (e.g. studies of what children do when participating in online social spaces outside school, compared with what they do in class in terms of Internet and computer use). The aim of this article is to develop a set of principles that will serve as a starting point for developing guidelines for ethical online research within education arenas. In keeping with this aim, the article is organised in the first instance by addressing front end, in process and back end ethical concerns within the research process. These ‘points’ of focus are applied directly to what can be called ‘bearers of moral consequences’; that is, groups of people or communities most directly affected by ethical decisions in a given study. In the present case, ‘the researched’ or study participants are examined first, followed by the ‘researcher's craft’ and her responsibilities toward the research community as an effective practitioner of research relevant to education. These two sections are followed by a related discussion of ethical concerns and responsibilities where two other bearers of moral consequences are concerned: supervisors and their graduate students, and consumers of research. The article concludes with three maxims developed from these discussions that can act as useful guides in making decisions where ethical conduct, education research and cyberspace are concerned.