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- Title
Ethics and governance for internet‐based conservation science research.
- Authors
Thompson, Ruth M.; Hall, Jordan; Morrison, Chris; Palmer, Nicole R.; Roberts, David L.
- Abstract
Internet‐based research is increasingly important for conservation science and has wide‐ranging applications and contexts, including culturomics, illegal wildlife trade, and citizen science. However, online research methods pose a range of ethical and legal challenges. Online data may be protected by copyright, database rights, or contract law. Privacy rights may also restrict the use and access of data, as well as ethical requirements from institutions. Online data have real‐world meaning, and the ethical treatment of individuals and communities must not be marginalized when conducting internet‐based research. As ethics frameworks originally developed for biomedical applications are inadequate for these methods, we propose that research activities involving the analysis of preexisting online data be treated analogous to offline social science methods, in particular, nondeceptive covert observation. By treating internet users and their data with respect and due consideration, conservationists can uphold the public trust needed to effectively address real‐world issues. Article impact statement: Conservationists undertaking internet‐based research should do more to avoid ethical and legal backlash from users and service providers.
- Subjects
CONTRACTS; RIGHT of privacy; RESEARCH methodology; WILD animal trade; INTERNET users; VIRTUAL communities
- Publication
Conservation Biology, 2021, Vol 35, Issue 6, p1747
- ISSN
0888-8892
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/cobi.13778