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/'#()
+,"0#"1/(&,
1exLs (e.g., auLhored LexLs,
naLurally occurrlng dlscourse,
lnLervlew LranscrlpLs)
lmages (presenLed or
produced by user or capLured
by researcher)
vldeo (presenLed or
produced by user or capLured
by researcher)
Audlo (presenLed or
produced by user or capLured
by researcher)
user mouons and
movemenLs (any and all
acuvlues produced or
presenLed by user and/or
capLured by researcher)
Congurauons or
personallzauon of devlces
2(.,"/&'#(-) 3,4/56#"-)
."/(-/&'#(-
Pyperllnks
CommenLs or
8ecommendauons
llle or lnformauon
Sharlng (le or snlppeL)
lorwardlng /8eplylng
lnLerpersonal
lnLeracuons,
conversauons
neLworks (e.g., maps
vlsuallzlng
communlcauon ow or
sLrengLh of relauons
beLween persons)

7#&/'#(- /($ 1#5,1,(.-
hyslcal locauons (CS)
hyslcal movemenLs
Surng behavlors
8"&465,$ 6(0#"1/'#(
uemographlc lnformauon
8ookmark collecuons
ulscusslon archlves
uaLa banks
1ransacuon logs
CllcksLream daLa
1race daLa
96",&. &#11%(6&/'#(
(formal or lnformal
lnLervlews vla real-ume
or asynchronous LexL,
audlo, or vlsual)
:+,&6/; 2(.,",-. <#"%1-
(emall- or web-based
conversauons and
archlves, e.g., Lhreaded
dlscusslon forums,
chaLrooms)
:#&6/; =,.>#"?6(@
(e.g., Llnkedln, google+,
lacebook, 1wluer,
1umblr, lllckr,
lourSquare)
!,"-#(/; -+/&,-A
3;#@-
(e.g., homepages,
blogs, youLube, and
all forms of
mulumedla
presenLauon)
85/./"B3/-,$ -#&6/;
-+/&,- ) 56".%/; >#";$-)
/($ #(;6(, @/16(@
-+/&,-
(e.g., Second Llfe, SlMs,
MuuS/MCCS,
MC8C)
C#11,"&6/; D,3
:,"56&,-
(e.g., Coogle, ACL,
?ahoo, 8lng, MSn,
SurveyMonkey, Cloud
SLorage)
9/./3/(?-A
E,+#-6.#"6,-
Where ls Lhe daLa sLored? Pow long wlll Lhe daLa exlsL ln Lhe reposlLory?
WhaL consenL or permlsslon mlghL be needed for subsequenL daLa use?
uoes Lhe remlxlng/mashlng of daLa enable ldenucauon of lndlvldual or group ldenuues or enable
any addluonal rlsks Lo paruclpanLs?
ln Lhe case of shared daLa, whaL condluons were placed on daLa use by Lhe orlglnal researcher, lf
any? 8egardless of condluons, whaL eLhlcal responslblllues may requlre conslderauon by laLer users?
WhaL mechanlsms are ln place Lo ensure approprlaLe daLa provenance and ownershlp?
Pow wlll lmages/audlo be eecuvely anonymlzed?
Could analysls, publlcauon, redlsLrlbuuon, or dlssemlnauon of conLenL harm Lhe sub[ecL ln any way?
lf Lhe conLenL of a sub[ecL's communlcauon were Lo become known beyond Lhe connes of Lhe
venue belng sLudled would harm llkely resulL?
uoes Lhe auLhor/paruclpanL conslder personal neLwork of connecuons sensluve lnformauon?
uoes auLhor/paruclpanL conslder Lhe presenLauon of lnformauon or venue Lo be prlvaLe or publlc?
uo Lhe Lerms of servlce conlcL wlLh eLhlcal prlnclples?
ls Lhe auLhor/sub[ecL a mlnor?
Pow do Lhe Lerms of servlce aruculaLe prlvacy of conLenL and/or how lL ls shared wlLh 3rd parues?
uoes Lhe auLhor/paruclpanL conslder personal neLwork of connecuons sensluve lnformauon?
Pow ls prole or locauon lnformauon used or sLored by researcher?
uoes auLhor/paruclpanL undersLand and agree Lo lnLeracuon LhaL may be used for research
purposes?
uoes research purpose and deslgn balance posslble conlcLs beLween paruclpanL and researcher
percepuons of publlc/prlvaLe and sensluve/nonsensluve?
uoes Lhe dlssemlnauon of ndlngs proLecL condenuallLy? ls Lhe daLa easlly searchable and
reLrlevable?
lf Lhe conLenL of a sub[ecL's communlcauon was ever llnked Lo Lhe person, would harm llkely resulL?
Pow do Lerms of servlce (1CS) aruculaLe prlvacy of conLenL and/or how lL ls shared wlLh 3rd parues?
8egardless of 1CS, whaL are communlLy or lndlvldual norms and/or expecLauons for prlvacy?
uoes Lhe auLhor/sub[ecL conslder personal neLwork of connecuons sensluve lnformauon?
ls Lhe daLa easlly searchable and reLrlevable? lf Lhe conLenL of a sub[ecL's communlcauon were Lo
become known beyond Lhe connes of Lhe venue belng sLudled - would harm llkely resulL?
ls Lhe conversauon Lhread or forum percelved as publlc or prlvaLe by Lhe auLhor(s)/sub[ecL(s)?
Pow ls prole, locauon, or oLher personally ldenufylng lnformauon used or sLored by researcher? ls
Lhe daLa easlly searchable and reLrlevable?
Pow ls lnformed consenL or proLecuon of prlvacy achleved? Pow are vulnerable persons ldenued
and proLecLed?
lf non-acuve archlves are used, how ls vulnerablllLy or harm dened and how are poLenual or acLual
sub[ecLs proLecLed?
Should Lhese vlrLual worlds be consldered publlc"? WhaL consuLuLes prlvacy" ln such places?
Should avaLars be consldered as persons and aorded Lhe same proLecuons as human sub[ecLs?
Wlll Lhe process of requesung consenL lLself cause harm? Pow and when should consenL be soughL?
WhaL requlres consenL?
1o whaL exLenL do users percelve Lhelr lnLeracuons and communlcauon Lo be prlvaLe ln Lhese
spaces?
Pow do 1erms of Servlce speclfy researcher presence, anonymlLy of users, and prlvacy/
condenuallLy?
1o whaL exLenL and ln whaL ways could research acuvlues lnLerfere wlLh or compromlse a user's play
or ouLcomes ln Lhe game? Pow should researchers [uggle Lhelr own muluple roles?
Could daLa be used Lo ldenufy a user's physlcal locauon and oLher sensluve demographlc
lnformauon?
Pow ls proLecuon of auLonomy of paruclpanL/auLhor achleved Lhrough lnformed consenL or
proLecuon of vulnerable persons? Pow can researcher ensure LhaL auLhor/paruclpanL undersLands
and agrees LhaL conLenL or lnLeracuon may be used for research purposes?
ls Lhe communlcauon archlved or easlly searchable and reLrlevable? ls Lhe daLa sub[ecL Lo open daLa
laws or regulauons? Pow long does Lhe Lhlrd parLy provlder or lS preserve Lhe daLa and where?
Could prlvacy be achleved Lhrough anonymlzauon of emall conLenL and/or header lnformauon?
WhaL are Lhe paruclpanL/auLhor's expecLauons of prlvacy? ls Lhe daLa easlly searchable and
reLrlevable? ls Lhe daLa sub[ecL Lo open daLa laws or regulauons? uoes Lhe servlce's prlvacy pollcy
conLradlcL eLhlcal prlnclples?
WhaL measures safeguard daLa aL Lhe slLe of daLa collecuon? Pow long wlll Lhe daLa be sLored on Lhe
servers? uoes Lhls conLradlcL Lhe ume frame lndlcaLed by Lhe researcher or lnsuLuuonal pollcles?
WhaL happens Lo Lhe daLa aer Lhe researcher compleLes work on Lhe servlce? Pow are Lhe daLa
desLroyed?
Pow wlll cross-border daLa be handled lf l addresses are consldered by one counLry Lo fall under
prlvacy regulauons?
FG+,- #0 H,(%,-AC#(.,I.- FG+,- #0 9/./ &#;;,&.,$ C#11#(;G /-?,$ J%,-'#(- /3#%. ,.46&/; +"/&'&,
1hls charL provldes a useful sLarung polnL for lnLerneL researchers Lo conslder eLhlcs. Convergence of Lechnologles and capaclues
conunues Lo break down Lhe sLrlcL boundarles beLween Lhese caLegorles. noL lnLended Lo provlde answers, Lhls graphlc promoLes
conslderauon of a range of lssues and quesuons LhaL may become relevanL ln Lhe course of any lnLerneL relaLed research.
Created by Annette Markham as Appendix 1, AOIR Guidelines:
Ethical Decision Making and Internet Research Ethics: 2012.
Original document located at http://ethics.aoir.org/