IJMR Research Methods Forum: 'Start listening, stop asking' - Researchers snoopers and spies - the legal and ethical challenges facing observational research

Adam Phillips

Adam Phillips presents conference notes from the IJMR Research Methods Forum, looking at the issue of ethics of observational research.

IJMR Research Methods Forum: 'Start listening, stop asking' – Researchers snoopers and spies: the legal and ethical challenges facing observational research

Adam Phillips

Real Research

At the methods forum last year, Agnes Nairn (2009) discussed ethics in research and stimulated a lot of discussion. In her paper she posed the questions: is it reasonable to use the data trail someone creates when using the internet without them being aware of it, and should researchers ‘lurk’ in chat rooms, forums and blogs of interest to them, without announcing their presence? It was therefore suggested that I...

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