Scoping Review: Ethical Considerations in Online Ethnographic Research With Military Populations

Donna L. Schuman, Christine Highfill, Amy Johnson, Stephanie Henderson, Pavleta Ognyanova

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Researchers using online ethnographic methods to study military communities must employ higher standards of ethical practice. Military populations may face significant risk if reidentified in research. These requirements are especially salient for online data collection. This review questions how and to what extent military online ethnographers are addressing ethics considerations. We charted evidence from seven military studies using an online ethnographic method. Findings reveal that most online military ethnographers did not utilize sufficient ethical safeguards in their studies. Additionally, they did not document or transparently disclose the ethical steps they may have taken. This study argues implementing ethical safeguards is especially important for protecting vulnerable military populations. We present a strategy for evaluating ethics practices in online ethnographic research and provide best practices for military online ethnographers.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)374-388
Number of pages15
JournalJournal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics
Volume16
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2021

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2021.

Keywords

  • ethics
  • military
  • netnography
  • online ethnography
  • veterans

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Social Psychology
  • Education
  • Communication

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