I am interviewing users of social networking sites on MSN instant messenger and when I posed the problem to the Norwegian Bureau of Statistics I got conflicting answers. I was first told that i needed hard copy signatures to informed consent forms for all interviews conducted online. Later i was told that emailed replies to me confirming my informants' acceptance of the conditions of the informed consent form were sufficient. At the moment i have hard copies of only a few consent forms and electronic copies of the others. I got a few of informants i interviewed online to send me hard copies of their signed consent forms which i had sent to them by post together with stamped and addressed envelopes. Others have refused because they don't want to reveal their post addresses On 8/1/07, Heidelberg, Chris <Chris.Heidelberg@ssa.gov> wrote:
I also used multiple blog, video, audio and social media sites to distribute my results online for my committee, professors, researchers and colleagues in order to demonstrate open research utilizing convergence. I did obtain hard copies and electronic signatures too. Initially, I utilized the email responses to my informed consent forms to obtain consent. Later, I was able to get my subjects to fax email their electronic signatures to me because fax emails are recognized in Maryland.
-----Original Message----- From: air-l-bounces@listserv.aoir.org [mailto:air-l-bounces@listserv.aoir.org] On Behalf Of mhward Sent: Tuesday, July 31, 2007 7:25 PM To: air-l@listserv.aoir.org Subject: Re: [Air-L] Ethics in online virtual worlds
I'm not sure if this is relevant, but my study involved setting up blogs for a group of PhD candidates at my own university for me to collect data on their PhD process. I was told to email them a copy of the information sheet that had been approved by the ethics committee. Their emailed replies to me, agreeing to the conditions therein, was sufficient consent to allow their participation.
M-H
On 1/8/07 9:11 AM, "Kevin Sherman" <kevin.sherman@aut.ac.nz> wrote:
I will be interviewing and observing avatars within Second Life as research for my phd. I have been asked by my ethics board to obtain hard copy signature consent from my participants rather than online digital consent. Can anyone direct me to literature pertaining to the
practicalities of informed consent in online virtual worlds (mmogs, mmorpgs, second life, etc..) or discuss their own experience with this?
Thank you, Kevin
_______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org
Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/ _______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org
Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/