Engaging with Online Communities: Ethical Considerations for Researchers - On Research Podcast

On Research - with CITI Program

How do we responsibly study digital communities without violating their trust? Where do we draw the line between research and interference? Joining us today is Dr. Sarah Gilbert, a research associate at Cornell University and research director of the Citizens and Technology Lab. Her work focuses on supporting healthy online communities, including how online data can be reused ethically. Together, we'll unpack the CMV subreddit case, explore how current research norms are being tested in real time, and ask what a more transparent future might look like.
Additional resources: 

Research papers about ethical research on Reddit:

• Remember the Human: A Systematic Review of Ethical Considerations in Reddit Research - https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/3633070
• Cross-Platform user expectations for social media data reuse - https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20539517231164108

Guides:

• Association for Internet Researchers: Internet Research: Ethical Guidelines 3.0 - https://aoir.org/ethics/
• PERVADE Data Ethics Tool - https://pervade.umd.edu/pervade-data-ethics-tool/
• AskHistorians Policy for Researchers using r/AskHistorians in Research - https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1iu4otk/meta_new_policy_for_researchers_using/
• Excavating awareness and power in data science: A manifesto for trustworthy pervasive data research - https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20539517211040759
• Beyond the Individual: A Community-Engaged Framework for Ethical Online Community Research - https://arxiv.org/pdf/2503.13752

Tool for large-scale disclosure:

• Procedural and Substantive Ethics in the Design of Research Ethics Systems - https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/20563051221077021

บท

1. Engaging with Online Communities: Ethical Considerations for Researchers - On Research Podcast (00:00:00)

2. Podcast Overview (00:00:30)

3. Dr. Sarah Gilbert’s Background (00:02:27)

4. Recap of the CMV Situation (00:05:17)

5. Ethical Responsibilities in Research (00:06:27)

6. Informed Consent Challenges (00:08:44)

7. Disclosure in Deceptive Studies (00:10:19)

8. Ethical Justifications for Concealing Identity (00:11:37)

9. Impact on Community Trust (00:14:07)

10. Balancing Rigor and Impact (00:16:31)

11. Disclosure After Research (00:20:50)

12. Understanding Community Nuance (00:21:35)

13. Platform’s Role in Research Protections (00:25:51)

14. IRB Limitations in Online Research (00:29:53)

15. Resources for Ethical Research (00:33:27)

16. Final Thoughts on Research Ethics (00:36:44)