A set of ethical guidelines for the use of social media data should be produced, a number of researchers have told Research Fortnight. The guidelines should involve public consultation and be embedded in ethical review bodies across all research areas.
Kandy Woodfield, head of learning and development at not-for-profit research organisation NatCen Social Research, says researchers are “uncertain and nervous” about the ethical framework for social media research. “There is a general lack of guidelines and a feeling that any existing guidance is quite patchy,” she says.
The lack of clarity is a “massive problem”, according to Carl Miller, research director of think tank Demos. “Social media research is an incredibly exciting area of academic inquiry but the danger is that, without a clear, codified, publicly argued framework, researchers won’t be protected,” he says.
Miller wants a specific code developed around the existing Economic and Social Research Council framework for research ethics, and for it to “interpret how those fundamental principles can be practically and meaningfully applied”.
The New Social Media, New Social Science network, set up with funding from the ESRC, has a working group reviewing existing guidance. Woodfield, who is part of the network, says the group’s report, expected in the summer, will “flag up where the key gaps are or where the existing guidance doesn’t translate to social media research”.
Carol McNaughton Nicholls, a research director at NatCen Social Research, says that a clear starting point for social media research is needed. “I think we’re getting there, but the next step is to embed [the rules] in different [decision-making] bodies.”
However, the changeable nature of social media platforms could make producing formal guidance complicated. Andy Hudson-Smith, whose work at University College London involves using Twitter information to track geographical trends, says: “I’m not keen on having to put new online ethics guidelines in place because as soon as you do, the world will shift yet again.”
Miller acknowledges this, saying that the idea of informed consent may not be practical in the context of big data analytics. “We might have to go back to what research ethics are supposed to do and work upwards,” he says.
A spokeswoman for the ESRC said there are no plans to publish separate ethical guidance on the use of social media at this time, and pointed to a section on internet research in the ESRC’s existing framework.
Both Miller and Woodfield say further research is needed into the public’s perception of social media data and understanding of terms and conditions. They say there is a lack of information on how users expect their data to be used, both in research and by businesses or government.