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What is Computer-Mediated Communication

Chapter 228

Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, Second Edition

Communication between two or more individuals that occurs via computer networks. Computer-mediated communication may be text, audio, graphics, or video based and occur synchronously (in “real time”) or asynchronously (delayed).

Published in Chapter:

Ethical Issues in Conducting Online Research

Lynne D. Roberts (University of Western Australia, Australia) and Leigh M. Pollock Smith (Curtin University of Technology, Australia)

Source Title: Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, Second Edition

DOI: 10.4018/978-1-60566-026-4.ch228

Abstract

The rapid growth of the Internet has been accompanied by a growth in the number and types of virtual environments supporting computer-mediated communication. This was soon followed by interest in using these virtual environments for research purposes: the recruitment of research participants, the conduct of research, and the study of virtual environments. Early research using virtual environments raised a number of ethical issues and debates. As early as 1996 a forum in the The Information Society (volume 12, issue 2) was devoted to ethical issues in conducting social science research online. The debate has continued with more recent collaborative attempts to develop guidelines for ethical research online (Ess & AoIR ethics working committee, 2002; Frankel & Siang, 1999). In this article we explore contemporary ethical issues associated with conducting research online.