MBA8000 Ethics of Using Social Media for Data Collection Assignment Sample

Applied Business Research and Ethics

Executive Summary of Ethics of Using Social Media for Data Collection

This discussion paper is grounded on the analysis of key issues which are explained in the journal article “Silences of ethical practice: dilemmas for researchers using social media” and written by Henderson, Johnson and Auld (2013). Through social networking sites, social media applications are majorly used for interaction. This paper is built on secondary qualitative research to propose the theoretical understanding regarding the key issues presented in data gathering using through social media platforms. The research findings represent that the key issues in data gathering through social media are privacy, confidentiality, reporting activity, content duration, public posts and working with children and young people. This report finds that the identified key issues in the given journal article are aligned with the ethical issues of researchers that can be overcome by effective research design. The recommendations for the paper propose an effective descriptive research design which is based on quantitative analysis, systematic sampling and questionnaires or surveys technique of data collection. This paper proposes several limitations which are: the qualitative technique of data collection through secondary sources with lack of numerical analysis to identify the impact of key issues on the data of researchers.

Table of Contents

Executive Summary.

Introduction.

Literature Review..

Recommendations.

Conclusion.

References.

Introduction to Ethics of Using Social Media for Data Collection

Ethics are known as the moral principles that are governed by the individual's behaviour. It is concerned with the moral philosophy established by the society that seeks for good individual behaviour in terms of character, custom and habits (Peters 2015). Ethical consideration is a major element of the research that promotes the social and moral responsibilities of the researchers while gathering information or data. While researching human subjects, ethics are considered as most important to minimize the risk, respect human dignity, promote autonomy and maximize benefits (Peters 2015). Researchers approach social media for data collection with increased technology. Virtual interaction promotes quick responses and enhances research findings. Different social media applications are used by researchers to gather responses from the participants such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and WhatsApp (Grimmelmann 2015). The major drivers of this discussion paper are to overview the crucial challenges and issue faces by researchers while using social media for data gathering to maintain ethical practices.

Increased use of social media promotes different challenges in data collection that can negatively affect customers. The key aim of the discussion paper is to concentrate the key issues and challenges of ethical practices in the article of Henderson, Johnson and Auld (2013). Major issues regarding data collection are based on data analysis, data gathering techniques and sampling. Justifiable resources, trustworthiness, autonomy, informed consent, traceability and promise-keeping are considered as essential ethical practices that lead to effective results. With the identification of ethical concerns in data gathering, researchers can maintain the effectiveness of research by dealing with the contextual challenges arises through social media platforms. Public figures post on a social media platform promotes ethical issue in terms of privacy and confidentiality to maintain significant records (Grimmelmann 2015).

Literature Review of Ethics of Using Social Media for Data Collection

According to Henderson, Johnson and Auld (2013), social media platforms are used by researchers for interaction, observation and recruitment that raises ethical dilemmas to work with children, informed consent, illicit activity and traceability. The ongoing dialogical process can help the researchers to identify the potential problems in the research and find different ways of effective research findings. In the views of Weller and Kinder-Kurlanda (2016), the use of social media applications in data collection increases media sharing capabilities. Emerging practical decisions can be seen by the effective practice of social media channels. Through the assurance of advance practices in social media, reliable and valid results can be identified. Marketing and projects require research to analyze the individual perspectives, that promote surveys and questionnaires to be distributed among individuals for their specific views. As per Diaz et al. (2016), online activities are necessary for the research to maintain a real-world opinion and use the data for a specific result.

The general population consists of specific demographic groups that are currently available with the relative expensive surveys. The major challenge of the online and social media activities for data collection is related to the interpretation and presentation of the sample. With the perspective of Benton, Coppersmith and Dredze (2017), it can be noticed that the technique of data collection and interpretation is transformed through social media platforms. Public perception and human behaviour can be analyzed with a new perspective and appropriate protection of sensitive data. Maintenance of an appropriate research tool for data collective requires familiarity to interpret and present it effectively. However, Weller and Kinder-Kurlanda (2016) propose that social media presents reliable results to ensure evaluating capacities and based on individual needs. While in the opinion of Diaz et al. (2016), social media activities help to promote a real-life opinion and include the demographic groups for the research out of the general population.

According to Bello-Orgazm Jung and Camacho (2016), different issues in research area can be identified that are related to big data. Social networks raise an issue of efficient utilization of the data that raises key problems such as data processing, data representation, visualization, analyses of user behaviours and data storage. It increases the issue of real and virtual actions of individuals which are difficult to track by the researchers. In the views of Stieglitz, Mirbabaie, Ross and Neuberger (2018), social media analytical process includes four major steps which are data identification, collection, preparation and interpretation. The major challenges of the data analysis techniques are identified with the structured data and collection of data through different modes. It pays less attention to the other categories and majorly focuses on the large volume of data. It can be identified as a key issue of data collection during research. Haustein (2016) said that technical possibilities lead to an increase in the demand of measuring impact in the society that also emphasize the scientific techniques of data collection.

Over the developments, un data collection through social media platforms leads to dependency over online activities and accessing data quality. Dynamic nature of social media events raises an issue for technical affordances. Although according to Bello-Orgazm Jung and Camacho (2016), the key issues researchers face in data collection through social media platforms are based on data processing and storage. However, Stieglitz, Mirbabaie, Ross and Neuberger (2018), favours these views that are relevant for social media platforms that provide a lack of accuracy in data. As per the perspective of Roberts (2015), the online technique of data collection emphases on the use of data content which can either be qualitative or quantitative. It raises a key challenge of “traceability” that affects the procedural practices of research and leads to an ethical issue. Through the examination of online communities for qualitative research, human participants work with deceptive research identities, informed consent, anonymity and covert research. The issue of data quality and sensitive information is considered as superior for the online data available on social media platforms. As per Haustein (2016), data quality is the issue that increases with the higher demand for online activities. It leads to increase big data and provide a high-volume data for the research that can be considered as irrelevant and complex to present effectively in the research.

In the perspective of Vitak, Shilton and Ashktorab (2016), major ethical issues identified in online data collection are based on confidentiality, privacy, informed consent, data quality and anonymity. Sensitive and potential information raises several challenges through public post availability that leads to traceability. Based on a social computing system, recoding of privacy concerns is identified that can affect data quality. As per Wallace and Sheldon (2014), business research requires ethical parameters to be fulfilled with the methods of access, power relationships and informed consent that recognizes effective research. Cross-cultural understanding and conflict of interest raise an issue for the researcher to understand contextual dimensions. In the viewpoint of Mittelstadt and Floridi (2016), data collection and data analysis establish a large amount of data that are based on business, social and scientific contexts. With the understanding of datasets, systematic information can be analyzed that is a major requirement of the sensitive information.

Five major concerned areas in data collection are privacy, objectivity, ownership, informed consent and lack of responses. Meaningful accessibility is a major issue of the research data that can create a gap in research. Vitak, Shilton and Ashktorab (2016) and Wallace and Sheldon (2014), provides views regarding the key issues in data collection through social media with the major problems such as informed consent, privacy, traceability, public data and potential audience. According to Sheeshan (2017), the major issues in data collection are based on reliability, ethical practices and validity. Strengths and weaknesses of academic research platform represent the effectiveness of data collection tool. Cost-effectiveness is an essential part of the social media tool. Stanton, Sinnott-Armstrong and Huettel (2017), facilitates ethical concerns that are based on the threats to consumer autonomy, control and privacy. With the current capabilities, these ethical issues arise in neuromarketing that largely affects the research.

In the opinion of Denecke et al. (2015), the use of web technologies, social media and mobile technology is increasing with the time that is efficient for communication. Information can be easily attained from social media applications. Anonymity is identified as a key element in personal and professional research that raises confidentiality and privacy concerns. With a view of data availability in social media platforms, ethical practices are maintained by the researchers through valid and reliable results. While Stanton, Sinnott-Armstrong and Huettel (2017) said that a threat of customer autonomy can be identified with the social media applications that include personal data and leads to traceability. Control and privacy are necessary to deal with the issue of public posts and reporting through social media tools.

As per Bradbury-Jones and Taylor (2015), the researchers find several issues in research methodology that are a barrier to framing discussion. Working with children for research is a difficult issue that can affect the research results. Children require protection and researchers need to balance their thoughts to get their accurate responses. It proposes a challenge in participatory research that reflects the powerful voices of children and young people. Whereas according to Herschel and Miori (2017), social media platforms help the researchers to work with big data and analyze a large volume of data quickly and efficiently. The exploitation of information based on volume, veracity, velocity, variability and variety requires to be based on the researcher's perspectives. Ethical issues in research to work with children and young people are based on their cognitive development opportunities and perspective of the outer world. It leads them into an immoral pathway which can affect their lives. 

As per Williams, Burnap and Sloan (2017), emerging posts on social media such as Facebook and Twitter are based on non-privacy principle. These posts are public. It represents several individuals without the informed consent of others. It is against the ethical approach while it is also the right of individuals to present their views in public. In the opinion of Boddy and Domnelli (2016), maintenance of ethical consideration is a key challenge through social media platforms. Confidentiality, dual relationships and boundary-crossing can be easily identified with the behaviour of individuals, Practice of power, authorship and professionalism leads to maintain reflective practices through key ethical concerns. While Williams, Burnap and Sloan (2017), focuses on the privacy aspect of the social media platform. Potential information can become visible to all individuals in the form of public data via Twitter. It is against the confidentiality of the participant. According to Mikal, Hurst and Conway (2016), social media application such as Twitter continuously investigates the mental health of individuals that is against the principle of privacy and confidentiality.

By addressing ethical problems in public health, researchers consider their perspective with the monitoring of individual attitudes, the profile of respondents, patterns and privacy expectations. It is against the confidentiality principle of ethics. In the viewpoint of Fiesler and Proferes (2018), through a social computing system on Twitter, researchers can avail social media data of several community works that creates a concern of ethical practices through public tweets and their content duration. Individuals can able to use the tweets of others without any consent that raises an issue of privacy and potential audience. While according to Mikal, Hurst and Conway (2016), individual's attitude and perspective towards public posts reveal their issues and ethical concerns for social media platforms. The principle of privacy and confidentiality is not completely fulfilled by social media applications such as Twitter that can affect the research methodology.

According to Zimmer (2015), as a popular micro-blogging company, Twitter has made all public posts available in the “Library of Congress’ for researchers to maintain archives. It can affect the storage of data and records privacy by extending the content duration. User control of the data leads to impact the virtual actions on public posts. Whereas as per Hunter (2018), researchers find key concerns in public health through privacy, anonymity, voluntary participation, confidentiality, sampling, informed consent, rapid change, and minimal harm through a social medial environment that impacts the system of data security. Through definite guidelines and ethical handling of information, social media posts can be maintained effectively. However, Fiesler and Proferes (2018) provided their opinion for a social computing system that use public posts. With the children and young people, the issue of traceability is identified as a major concern that affects the potential audience and challenges research objectives. The issue of privacy, confidentiality and traceability are confined with public posts on social media.

It can be suggested that social media applications promote the use of communication and big data for researchers. This platform is efficiently used by individuals to express their views and opinions regarding public posts. Informed consent, privacy, confidentiality, traceability, public posts, content duration, virtual actions and a potential audience of public data is a major issue of the social media platforms that are based on ethical issues in research. In the opinion of Henderson, Johnson and Auld (2013), it can be said that the individual access of data is a myth which brings social contact on different platforms. Privacy and confidentiality issues create risks in working with children for research through immoral and illicit activities. The risk of cyberbullying also increases through the issue of public posts and social network interactions. Anyone can join social media irrespective of their location, gender or age that can promote illicit behaviour.

Recommendations on Ethics of Using Social Media for Data Collection

It can be recommended that the social media applications should be used efficiently through an effective research design that promotes credibility, validity, reliability and trustworthiness in the research outcomes. Better future designs work with effective research aims and objectives which are based on research methodology. For sampling, data analysis and collection of data, the following techniques can be used by the researchers that promote more reliable results:

• Systematic sampling technique is an effective technique for the research design that can promote the selection of random samples from the larger population over a fixed and periodic interval. It can help in deriving accurate results for all the researchers and identified as suitable for mostly researches. A reliable and valid result is possible through systematic sampling technique (Pal and Singh 2017).
• Questionnaires and surveys are the most prominent techniques for research that can provide trustworthy primary data. Open-ended and closed-ended options help to gather relevant opinions and save time by distributing through social media. Quantitative and qualitative information is possible through effective research design that can present the information in an accurate and trustworthy manner (Geuens and De Pelsmacker 2017).
• The quantitative technique is the most appropriate technique of data analysis that approaches for credible, valid and reliable results. Interpretation of the information can provide numerical outcome which can be verified easily. A researcher should use the quantitative technique for efficient research (Barnham 2015).

Data collection is a major part of research design that requires valid, reliable and trustworthy results. Defined methods and techniques are necessary for an effective research methodology. Descriptive research design is useful for the researcher that promotes numerical analysis and analyze the effective relationship of independent and dependent variables based on social media analytics. An effective research design promotes numerical analysis through limited sample size which best represents the population characteristics (Barnham 2015; Geuens and De Pelsmacker 2017). While it represents the fowling limitations:

• Through systematic sampling, there is a high risk of data manipulation. It is less random than the simple random sampling technique.
• Some population can easily analyze the pattern of identifying the sample which can affect the sample selection (Barnham 2015; Geuens and De Pelsmacker 2017).
• Questionnaires and surveys comprise of several questions which can become difficult to analyze. Individuals cannot be able to convey their emotions or feelings.
• A quantitative approach is based on limited findings that can reach to only specific results. It is a time consuming and calculative process (Barnham 2015; Geuens and De Pelsmacker 2017).

Conclusion on Ethics of Using Social Media for Data Collection

It can be concluded that researchers can easily use social media techniques to promote an efficient and reliable result. With modern technology, several social media applications are used by individuals such as Facebook and Twitter. Data collection through different sources requires ethical considerations and maintenance of moral principles. The journal article of Hender, Johnson and Auld, “Silences of ethical practice: dilemmas for researchers using social media” focuses on different key issues in data collection by the researchers such as public data post issue, confidentiality, content duration, real and virtual actions, traceability, privacy and records maintenance, working with children and young people, the potential audience of the public post and reporting of the public post. Illicit or illegal behaviour of individuals is also a major concern for the researchers that can affect the research results. Appropriate marketing research needs to be based on customer data and their views. The literature review presents key issues from a theoretical perspective.

Social media platform such as Twitter uses the data and information of individuals in the “Library of Congress” that can affect the content duration and privacy of public posts. Social networks raise an issue of efficient utilization of the data that raises key problems such as data processing, data representation, visualization, analyses of user behaviours and data storage. Ethical issues in research to work with children and young people are based on their cognitive development opportunities and perspective of the outer world. Potential information can become visible to all individuals in the form of public data via Twitter. A descriptive research design is recommended for the organization that can promote quantitative research including systematic sampling size and using questionnaires or surveys as data collection tools. Effective research design can overcome the issue of data collection that can be used through the social media platform.

References for Ethics of Using Social Media for Data Collection

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Bello-Orgaz, G., Jung, J.J. and Camacho, D., 2016. Social big data: Recent achievements and new challenges. Information Fusion, vol. 28, pp.45-59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.inffus.2015.08.005

Benton, A., Coppersmith, G. and Dredze, M., 2017. Ethical research protocols for social media health research. In Proceedings of the First ACL Workshop on Ethics in Natural Language Processing (pp. 94-102). https://www.aclweb.org/anthology/W17-1612.pdf

Boddy, J. and Dominelli, L., 2017. Social media and social work: The challenges of a new ethical space. Australian Social Work, vol. 70, pp.172-184. https://doi.org/10.1080/0312407X.2016.1224907

Bradbury-Jones, C. and Taylor, J., 2015. Engaging with children as co-researchers: challenges, counter-challenges and solutions. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, vol. 18, pp.161-173. https://doi.org/10.1080/13645579.2013.864589

Denecke, K., Bamidis, P., Bond, C., Gabarron, E., Househ, M., Lau, A.Y.S., Mayer, M.A., Merolli, M. and Hansen, M., 2015. Ethical issues of social media usage in healthcare. Yearbook of medical informatics, vol. 24, pp.137-147. DOI: 10.15265/IY-2015-001

Diaz, F. et al. 2016. Online and social media data as an imperfect continuous panel survey. PloS one, vol. 11. https://dx.doi.org/10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0145406

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