Abstract
While some regard Internet as public texts, much of interest to researchers is actually human social interaction, subject to institutional review. The law leaves much to the discretion of institutional review boards (IRBs). Reviews are influenced by concerns for protecting institutions from liability, negative publicity, or scrutiny from funding sources. This creates an "atmosphere of apprehension" for IRBs, and challenges Internet researchers, because their work demands innovative methods in a field unfamiliar to most IRBs. This paper is intended to offer both cautions to those anticipating internet research, as well as advice on dealing with the IRB.
Journal Title
Iowa Journal of Communication
Volume
37
Issue
1
First Page
87
Last Page
101
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Johns, Mark D.
(2005)
"Unique and Ordinary Problems in Internet Research: Research Ethics, the Law, and Power Politics in Institutional Review,"
Iowa Journal of Communication: Vol. 37:
No.
1, Article 8.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/ijc/vol37/iss1/8
Copyright
©2005 Iowa Communication Association
