The ethics of research using electronic mail discussion groups

Area of Science:

• Nursing Research
• Digital Health Ethics
• Qualitative Research Methods

Background:

• Electronic mail (email) group conversations are an underutilized method for collaborative data generation in nursing.
• Ethical considerations for using email for data generation are emerging.
• A study on "Describing transition with people who live with chronic illness" encountered numerous ethical dilemmas.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and discuss ethical considerations encountered by a research team using private electronic mail discussion lists for facilitating conversations.
• To share essential insights for understanding research interaction, communication, and collaboration possibilities with advanced information technologies.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative exploration of ethical dilemmas encountered during a nursing research study.
• Facilitation of conversations using private electronic mail discussion lists.

Main Results:

• Experiences highlighted the importance of ongoing ethical discussions regarding privacy, confidentiality, consent, accountability, and openness.
• Specific challenges included informed consent, participant confidentiality, self-harm/harm to others, public-private confusion, data access by employees, hackers, and researcher-induced threats.
• Cyberspace research complicates traditional ethical standards due to altered temporal, spatial, and sensory interaction components.

Conclusions:

• The study underscores the need for heightened researcher vigilance to ensure data collection aligns with approved ethics protocols.
• Ethical principles require careful consideration and adaptation in the context of electronic mail-based research.
• Nurse researchers must navigate complex moral and ethical issues inherent in cyberspace research.