Should Internet Researchers Use Ill-Gotten Information?

Area of Science:

• Computer Science
• Research Ethics
• Information Science

Background:

• Scientific research often relies on data, but ethical concerns arise when data is obtained unethically.
• The concept of "ill-gotten information" traditionally applies to data acquired through harmful or immoral conduct.
• These ethical challenges are increasingly relevant to data collected from the internet.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the ethical implications of using internet-sourced data in research.
• To analyze the arguments for and against the use of "ill-gotten information" in the context of internet research.
• To demonstrate how these ethical considerations apply to real-world internet data collection and usage.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of ethical arguments surrounding "ill-gotten information".
• Case study analysis of three internet research projects: Internet Census 2012, PharmaLeaks, and keylogger dropzone research.
• Application of traditional ethical frameworks to internet data scenarios.

Main Results:

• Ethical problems associated with "ill-gotten information" are mirrored in internet research.
• Arguments for and against using such data are applicable to internet-sourced information.
• Researchers face similar ethical dilemmas regardless of the data's origin (traditional vs. internet).

Conclusions:

• Internet research presents unique challenges in data acquisition and ethical oversight.
• Existing ethical frameworks for "ill-gotten information" provide a basis for addressing internet data ethics.
• Consistent ethical scrutiny is necessary for all research involving potentially compromised data sources.