Ethics-related practices in Internet-based applied linguistics research

Abstract

Drawing on an analytic framework developed from ethical research guidelines and the relevant literature, this study analyzes and discusses the ways ethical issues were addressed by authors of 72 relevant journal articles on online self-representation in the field of applied linguistics. The results illustrate how researchers undertook efforts to fulfill ethical responsibilities in Internet-based research. They show how researchers’ self-narrated concerns and contextual conditions have mediated ethics-related research practices as reported in these studies. The results indicate the need for researchers to enhance critical awareness and assessment of potential ethical issues when conducting Internet-based research. Such critical awareness is essential for researchers to initiate and sustain an ongoing dialogue concerning ethics-related research practices in Internet-based applied linguistics research.