The Reading Specialist

E-researchers and educators can be confronted with different dilemmas with respect to ethics, intellectual property, and e-Research procedures.  Some of the issues were made evident within E-Research           
(Anderson & Kanuka, Ch. 5), Postmodern authorship (Johnson-Eilola, 2004, pp.203-212), and Creative Commons Licenses.  Some prominent problems discussed within the e-Research text were researcher’s competence to understand and accurately know appropriate ethical guidelines and principles.  If a researcher does not observe ethics, their work and participants involved could be jeopardized.  It is necessary for the researcher to exercise extreme caution, judgment, confidentiality and respect for all involved persons.  Another issue researchers and educators may deal with is obtaining consent.  There are different ways to obtain consent from individuals.  However it must be decided how consent may be obtained (i.e. electronically) and whether consent may be needed.  For instance some arenas may be public while others private.  Once again one must exercise tremendous concern and judgment to determine what is considered public or private, and whether or not consent is needed. It is obvious that e-researchers must utilize experience not only personally but from others who may be in the field in addition to sound personal judgment.  The last thing an e-researcher or educator should want to do is harm the individuals they are utilizing for their research.           

Additionally, another important factor to consider is authorship and how one is able to utilize another’s text.  The ways in which people write and understand literature is changing continuously.  Texts have become forms which are multi-dimensional and extremely social.  Therefore it is imperative to understand the changing nature of writing and be in compliance with laws regulating use of other’s work.  At times, it may be difficult to differentiate between original texts, therefore it may be best not to utilize it if unsure of its origin.             

With these thoughts in mind, it is important to understand and recognize the compliances one must follow when interacting with internet literacy’s and research.  Most likely, every site is going to have some type of licensure which spells out the limitations and allowances of the user. These licenses’ should not be considered to be burdens but as regulations to ensure an individual’s safety within the site they are utilizing. It is extremely important to have great knowledge of the dilemmas of e-research procedures especially when working with students.  As precautionary measures for teachers and students, it would be sensible to find literature about the processes of e-research for greater understanding of the issues and how they may be resolved, before conducting research.  For instance, we should keep in mind the different ways to include individuals in research without compromising identities, personal well-being, jobs, and the research itself.  Moreover it would be very wise to read over program licenses before agreeing to them. One should not be afraid to ask questions and seek answers if the terms and limitations are not clear.

I understand that e-research can be very beneficial and engaging. However it is still a fairly new concept and one must understand that the process should be taken slowly to understand each element and that sound judgment should play an integral part of the process as well.