Colleagues: We are very pleased to announce that the ethics committee document on Internet research ethics was unanimously approved by voting members at the close of the vote on midnight, Wednesday, November 27, 2002. For the first time, there now exists a relatively complete ethics statement tailored to the distinctive venues and methodologies of Internet research, one which - like the professional ethics codes of other disciplinary organizations - reflects the considered ethical judgments, insights, and practices of those active in the multiple fields of Internet research. Researchers, students, ethicists, and related institutional bodies and academic organizations in the domain of Internet research may now turn to the ethics document as at least a starting point for their inquiries and reflection. This starting point reflects not only nearly two years of collaborative effort of the ethics working committee, as composed of ethicists and researchers from 11 different countries - but also the endorsement of aoir members at large. Of course, as we noted in the pre-vote discussion of the document, while the document stands as something of a milestone in the development of Internet research ethics - it is by no means the final word. Rather, the ethics working committee will continue to explore and debate how new experiences, issues and insights affiliated with Internet research evoke ethical challenges and demand ethically justifiable resolutions. 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. As the ethics working committee thus elaborates and refines the current document, it will be returned to aoir members in updated form for your review, comment, and, where appropriate, endorsement. Our thanks, finally, not only to the many aoir members who contributed in a variety of ways to the document - but also to the members of the ethics working committee who have worked for nearly two years to develop an ethics statement with a daunting job description: * it must reflect the wide diversity of disciplinary approaches - in both the social sciences and the humanities - to Internet research; * it must take in and, where possible, coherently synthesize the diverse ethical approaches and cultural traditions represented among the global community of Internet researchers; * it must address a wide audience - researchers, ethicists, students, and professionals engaged in Internet research in a variety of capacities - in ways that are both well-grounded in philosophical ethics and immediately practical for researchers and others with varying degrees of familiarity with ethics as a discipline; and * it must meet the approval of aoir members! The members of the ethics committee have undertaken this task with unstinting generosity, insight, and spirited but collegial debate. If you ever find the ethics document to be useful, it is these people you will want to thank: 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. With gratitude and all best wishes, Steve Jones President, Association of Internet Researchers Professor of Communication University of Illinois at Chicago/USA Charles Ess Director, Interdisciplinary Studies Center Drury University 900 N. Benton Ave. Voice: 417-873-7230 Springfield, MO 65802 USA FAX: 417-873-7435 Home page: http://www.drury.edu/ess/ess.html Co-chair, CATaC 2002: http://www.it.murdoch.edu.au/~sudweeks/catac02/ PS: My special thanks go to Charles Ess for his leadership, effort and time guiding the ethics committee. -Sj