Interesting question. My sense is that if a researcher is looking at an archive of discussion, as long as the participants remain anonymous in the research findings write-up, such analysis is fine and ethical. My human subjects board would require me to file with them to notify them that I was doing such archival work, but such research would be exempt from any formal oversight by the human subjects board.
 
~Jenny
----- Original Message -----
From: Kris Gowen
To: air-l@aoir.org
Sent: Wednesday, June 05, 2002 1:14 PM
Subject: RE: [Air-l] Science News Online: The Social Net

Would it be different, ethically, for a researcher to analyze archives on a message board discussing the same topic?

L. Kris Gowen, PhD

Senior Research Associate

Foundation for Accountability

kgowen@facct.org

www.facct.org