AoIR has an ongoing commitment to ensuring that research on and about the Internet is conducted in an ethical and professional manner. The Ethics Working Group, as composed of ethicists and researchers from 11 different countries, has produced a major report to assist researchers in making ethical decisions in their research. The ethics committee document on Internet research ethics was unanimously approved by voting members on November 27, 2002.

Researchers, students, ethicists, and related institutional bodies and academic organizations in the domain of Internet research may turn to the ethics document as at least a starting point for their inquiries and reflection. Just as the current document was immeasurably enriched by comments and contributions from AoIR members – we very much hope that the AoIR membership will continue to call attention to issues and resources in Internet research ethics for debate and deliberation by the ethics working committee.

CONTRIBUTORS

Poline Bala – Malaysia; Amy Bruckman – USA; Sarina Chen – USA; Brenda Danet – Israel/USA; Dag Elgesem – Norway; Andrew Feenberg – USA; Stine Gotved – Denmark; Christine M. Hine – UK; Soraj Hongladarom – Thailand; Jeremy Hunsinger – USA; Klaus Jensen – Denmark; Storm King – USA; Chris Mann – UK; Helen Nissenbaum – USA; Kate O’Riordan – UK; Paula Roberts – Australia; Wendy Robinson – USA; Leslie Shade – Canada; Malin Sveningson – Sweden; Leslie Tkach – Japan; John Weckert – Australia; Steve Jones – USA; Charles Ess – USA.

Title: Ethical decision-making and Internet research: Recommendations from the aoir ethics working committee
Authors: Charles Ess and the AoIR ethics working group
Approved by AoIR, November 27, 2002
Available online: www.aoir.org/reports/ethics.pdf