"Netnographic" Investigation of a Facebook Group

A PhD student wants to analyze debates from the Facebook group Animal Rights in order to find out whether this type of online community can create new forms of alliances and debate that would normally not be possible through traditional activism. The Facebook group is open and is dedicated to discussions related to animal welfare in Norway. The group is moderated.

The student wants to use “netnography” as a method, through participatory observation in the relevant group. The method is a process in which one observes a group of people over time and participates actively in the group’s activities in order to interpret actions and interactions. The researcher states that she has participated actively in the group since before the project was conceived. The plan is to make active use of posts from individuals in the analysis.

Questions for discussion

• Should the researcher inform the entire group about the project?
• Can the researcher use posts from everyone in the group in her research?
• Should the researcher inform participants in the group if she wants to use their posts?
• Should the researcher anonymize the participants even though the group is open and the posts are searchable?
• Should the researcher inform participants about the results of the analysis?
• Would the matter be different if the forum were closed, and if so, in what ways?

Read more

• A Guide to Internet Research Ethics