Ethical Issues in Qualitative Research in the Digital Age
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31154/isc12.v12i3.179.762-776Keywords:
online data collection, ethical issues, ethical guidelines, informed consent, confidentialityAbstract
In this digital age, researchers have options other than traditional data collection methods. Data collection through online modalities, which brings advantages such as sample diversity, cost and time reduction, and wide geographical reach, has become an alternative. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, human interactions became limited; in-person conversations and on-site presence were impossible in some areas. Hence, researchers opted for Internet-mediated research activities. Even after the pandemic, conducting research online will continue to be an attractive modality. Ethical issues, though, have been raised in online data collection methods. Among those ethical issues are ownership of online data, unauthorized usage of online data, and anonymity and confidentiality in virtual and visual research. It is important, therefore, that ethical guidelines be observed in online data collection. In this paper, we propose several strategies to mitigate ethical issues. These strategies include securing informed consent, which is considered the cornerstone of research ethics, from the participants after they have been thoroughly and adequately advised regarding the research processes; determining whether the online space is public or private and implementing corresponding measures and adjustments; ensuring the confidentiality of the data by proper storage, management, and reporting; securing the anonymity of the participants through de-identification; and being honest and transparent by disclosing their identity as researchers to the participants. In addition, researchers will need to be guided by ethics review boards and a reference group with whom they can consult when they encounter ethical moments during their data collection.
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