Ethical Issues in Qualitative Research

Ethical Issues in Qualitative Research Done Through the social media
The article by Mikal, J., Hurst, S., & Conway, M. (2016) discusses the ethical issues that
researchers should consider before studying an internet community. The critical issues related to
confidentiality, informed consent, potential harm or risk, subject vulnerability, and intrusiveness
are discussed in detail. 
Intrusiveness: The use of social media for the purposes of research can be intrusive, as it
can involve monitoring people's activities and posts without their knowledge or consent (Mikal,
Hurst & Conway, 2016). This can be especially problematic if the research is conducted on a
sensitive topic, such as depression. 
Subject vulnerability: Social media users may be especially vulnerable to being exploited
or manipulated if they are not aware they are being studied (Mikal, Hurst & Conway, 2016). For
example, if a researcher is studying a group of people with depression, they may be able to
influence the participants' behavior or emotions in negative ways. 
Potential harm or risk: Social media research can also pose risks to participants, as their
personal information may be exposed to the researcher or the public (Mikal, Hurst & Conway,
2016). Additionally, using social media for research can lead to cyberbullying or other forms of
online harassment. 
Informed consent: Informed consent is a critical ethical issue in social media research.
Because social media research can be intrusive, participants must be fully informed of the study's
purpose, procedures, and risks before they agree to participate. 
Confidentiality: Social media research can also pose challenges to confidentiality, as the
researcher may have access to participants' personal information (Mikal, Hurst & Conway, 2016). Additionally, if the research is conducted on a public platform, such as Twitter, the
participants' information may be accessible to anyone who can access the platform.

References

Mikal, J., Hurst, S., & Conway, M. (2016). Ethical issues using Twitter for population- level
depression monitoring: A Qualitative study. BMC Medical Ethics, 17(22). DOI
10.1186/s12910-016-0105-5