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Research ethics in Internet-enabled research: human subjects issues and methodological myopia.

Joseph B Walther1

  • 1Department of Communication, Cornell University, 336 Kennedy Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-4203, USA.

Ethics and Information Technology
|June 28, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Concerns about human subjects protections in online research are widespread. This article clarifies which protections are relevant for internet-based social and psychological behavior studies, simplifying oversight.

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Area of Science:

  • Social and Psychological Behavior Research
  • Human Subjects Protections
  • Internet-Based Research Ethics

Background:

  • Increasing use of internet resources for social and psychological behavior research raises concerns about human subjects protections.
  • Existing efforts have identified problems but offered few solutions, complicating oversight for human subjects.
  • Critiques current approaches to human subjects protection in online research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To critique issues in human subjects protection for internet research.
  • To evaluate the pertinence of US Code of Federal Regulations' policies in common online research methodologies.
  • To propose a framework for more appropriate consideration of research applications by oversight committees.

Main Methods:

Keywords:
Belmont ReportBiomedical and Behavioral ResearchFederal Policy (Common Rule) for the Protection of Human Subjects 1991

Related Experiment Videos

  • Critique of existing human subjects protection policies in the context of internet research.
  • Analysis of common methodological approaches in social and psychological behavior studies.
  • Examination of the US Code of Federal Regulations' policies for the Protection of Human Subjects.

    • Main Results:

    • Some identified issues in human subjects protection are not pertinent to common internet research methodologies.
    • Separating applicable contexts from non-applicable ones is crucial for effective oversight.
    • Subject characteristics are often irrelevant or impossible to obtain in online research.

    Conclusions:

    • Oversight committees can more appropriately consider research applications by distinguishing relevant contexts.
    • Investigators may be less ethically bound to ascertain irrelevant or unobtainable subject characteristics.
    • A nuanced approach to human subjects protection is needed for internet-based research.