Ethics: Aims and learning outcomes

Aims

1. To explore the complexity of the ethical issues associated with online research;
2. To outline key ethical issues associated with online research including informed consent, confidentiality, privacy, debriefing and netiquette;
3. To identify practical issues that might have an ethical component including online libel, spam, viruses and copyright issues;
4. To explore international inequalities and the digital divide which might have ethical implications, including language issues and online power relations;
5. To introduce key ethical guidelines for online research;
6. To describe key terms, definitions and terminology in relation to online research ethics;
7. To provide links to additional resources, frequently asked questions and print versions.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this module, you will be able to:

1. Identify some of the key ethical issues associated with online research;
2. Apply this knowledge in the design and implementation of online research projects, bearing in mind issues of informed consent, confidentiality, privacy, debriefing and netiquette;
3. Consider issues of international and online inequality that might have an ethical bearing on your use of online research methods;
4. Use the correct terminology when communicating about online research ethics;
5. Collect information about sources of help when thinking about and applying online research ethics.

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