Threads, Tweets and TikToks: the ethics and challenges of online qualitative research.

Smith, David; Meechan, Andrew

Abstract

Since the late 90s, social media has revolutionised how people interact and communicate. Among other things, they help old friends keep in touch, people from marginalised communities meet safely, and individuals explore aspects of their identity and sexuality they may not feel comfortable doing in the physical world. However, their often polarised nature also facilitates the spread of often volatile ideas, figures and the communities that form around them. For example, following exposure on TikTok, the provocateur and alleged sex trafficker Andrew Tate was the most Googled man in the world during 2022. This digital infamy allowed his misogynistic content to be shared with young men everywhere, despite having few appearances on traditional media. Hence, online discourses provide a tool for social scientists who want to understand how anti-social ideologies and discourses spread. In this session, psychology lecturer Dr David Smith and MRes student Andrew Meechan will explore the ethics of using social media sites, including X/Twitter, Reddit and TikTok, to understand collective identity and movements. Drawing upon their experiences with researching online misogyny, among other topics, they will explore issues of legitimacy, recruitment, consent, privacy and safeguarding.

Citation

SMITH, D.S. and MEECHAN, A. 2024. Threads, Tweets and TikToks: the ethics and challenges of online qualitative research. Presented at the February 2024 School of Applied Social Studies (SASS) research and development hour, 14 February 2024, Aberdeen, UK.

• Presentation Conference Type: Lecture
• Conference Name: February 2024 School of Applied Social Studies (SASS) research and development hour
• Conference Location: Aberdeen, UK
• Start Date: Feb 14, 2024
• Deposit Date: Feb 16, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: May 8, 2024
• Keywords: Qualitative research methods; Social media; Online communities; Misogyny
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/2243385