Abstract
The ethics of online research and researcher safety online are emergent concerns articulated by researchers with increasing frequency. As such, approaches to these problematics tend to take researcher-focused frames. However, relatively little attention has been given to the ways in which institutions are responsible for ensuring the safety and ethical conduct of their researchers in online contexts. Taking this into consideration, this chapter outlines institutional ethical responsibility in relation to online research, with a specific focus on researcher safety including awareness, planning and support, as fundamental aspects of conducting ethical research. Such ethical considerations about conduct and safety are particularly pertinent for cybercrime researchers investigating sensitive topics including online hate crimes, criminal subcultures and violent extremism. The proposed recommendations require institutional commitments and ongoing collaboration between administrators and researchers which are essential, we believe, to successfully address both the roots and symptoms of widespread ethical challenges posed by online research.
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Mattheis, A.A., Kingdon, A. (2021). Does the Institution Have a Plan for That? Researcher Safety and the Ethics of Institutional Responsibility. In: Lavorgna, A., Holt, T.J. (eds) Researching Cybercrimes. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74837-1_23
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74837-1_23
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