This document discusses aspects of digital literacy and ethical considerations for online research. It provides three examples of past online research projects and notes that informed consent and privacy were not fully addressed. It emphasizes the importance of obtaining informed consent, maintaining participants' anonymity and privacy, securing data, and ensuring equal opportunities for all in research. Researchers must consider digital literacy issues and maintain ethical integrity, for example by clearly communicating the research process and allowing participant autonomy.

1. Aspects of Digital Literacy
Dr Dave Burnapp
Mr Djamel-Eddine Benchaib
2015-2016

2. Three Examples of Online Research
Using the internet has increased; and ethical
concerns have therefore also increased.

3. Example One
• “The End of the Affair”: a comparative analysis of media coverage of
negotiations between Shanghai Auto and MG Rover. (For Chinese
Economist Association Conference, 2007)
• In this project I only used published online news reports: a
very clear and simple method of researching (e.g. the data
are already in digital form, can be searched easily etc) also
used no participants, hence no issues of informed consent.
(How would this be viewed today?)

4. Example Two
• Burnapp, D. & Feng, Y. (2007). Digital third space: The use of internet
resources for study and living by students from China in UK
universities. Paper presented to: 5th International Conference on ELT
(English Language Teaching) in China & the 1st Congress of Chinese
Applied Linguistics, Beijing, People's Republic of China, 16-21 May
2007.
• For this research students were asked to report their own
uses: i.e. it did ;use participants, so what were the ethical
issues we should have addressed. (How would this be
viewed today?)

5. Example Three
• Burnapp, D. & Zhao, W.(2009). Voices from the chat rooms: research
into the experiences of Chinese students participating in
transnational education programmes as reported on internet social
networks. Enhancing the Learner Experience in Higher
Education. 1(1), pp. 30-43. 1234-1234.
• We conducted an examination of internet sites where
students reported their experiences of transnational
education …Examining online postings and discussions is a
form of non-participant observation in a naturalistic setting
yielding secondary qualitative data.
• (How would this be viewed today?)

7. Digital Literacy
“A person’s ability to perform tasks effectively in a digital
environment ... the ability to read and interpret media, to
reproduce data and images through digital manipulation,
and to evaluate and apply new knowledge gained from
digital environments.” (Kavalier & Flanniagan, 2006, para 6)

8. Elements of Digital Literacy
• There are eight elements of DL. (Belshaw, 2011)
 Cultural
 Cognitive
 Constructive
 Communicative
 Confidence
 Creative
 Critical
 Civic

9. Example: Research into Digtal Environment
• Against what criteria do we select the participants?
• How do we measure that the potential participants are
appropriate?
The Research
Vehicle: DL
Participants’ DL Researcher’s DL

10. Ethical Integrity
• Most of the discussions have been on data
gathering and research participants.

11. Data gathering
 Terms and conditions
 When & how to obtain informed consents
 Anonymity: Data should be made anonymous (not to be identified)
 Data Storage : data should be kept safe (e.g., using a software)
 The availability of the data: How long will the data be available on the internet?
 What materials? Would they be the potential risks?
 Research involving vulnerable groups (such as children aged under 16;
those lacking capacity; or individuals in a dependent or unequal
relationship);
 Research involving potentially sensitive topics (such as participants’ sexual
behaviour; their legal or political behaviour; their experience of violence;
their gender or ethnic status);

12.  Research involving a significant and necessary element of
deception;
 Research involving access to records of personal or
confidential information (including genetic or other biological
information);
 Research involving access to potentially sensitive data through
third parties (such as employee data);
 Research that could induce psychological stress, anxiety or
humiliation or cause more than minimal pain (e.g. repetitive or
prolonged testing);

13.  Research involving invasive interventions (such as the
administration of drugs or other substances, vigorous physical
exercise or techniques such as hypnosis) that would not
usually be encountered during everyday life;
 Research that may have an adverse impact on employment or
social standing (e.g. discussion of an employer, discussion of
commercially sensitive information);
 Research that may lead to ‘labelling’ either by the researcher
(e.g. categorisation) or by the participant (e.g. ‘I am stupid’, ‘I
am not normal’);
 Research that involves the collection of human tissue, blood or
other biological samples.
British Psychological Association, 2014

14. Research Participants
 The privacy: researcher should protect the privacy of the participants
 Transparency: does the process of research clearly articulated to the
participants and others involved in your research?
 Justice: equal opportunities for all potential participants to take part
 Autonomy: participants are free to participate.

15. Group Discussion
• Where should I think about digital literacy in my research?
• How do I maintain ethical integrity?

16. References
• Kavalier, B.R. J. & Flannigan, S. L. (2006). Connecting the Digital Dots:
Literacy of the 21st Century. Available at:
http://er.educause.edu/articles/2006/1/connecting-the-digital-dots-lit
[Accessed 31 May 2016].
• Belshaw, A. J.D. (2011). What is Digital Literacy? A Pragmatic
Investigation. Ph.D. The University of Durham. Available at:
http://dmlcentral.net/wp-content/uploads/files/doug-belshaw-edd-th
[Accessed 31 May 2016].

17. Further Readings
• British Psychological Society (2009). Code of Ethics and Conduct. Leicester: St
Andrews House. Available at: http://www.bps.org.uk/system/files/Public
%20files/aa%20Standard%20Docs/inf94_code_web_ethics_conduct.pdf
[Accessed 31 May 2016].
• British Psychological Society (2013). Ethics Guidelines for Internet-mediated
Research. Leicester: St Andrews House. Available at:
http://www.bps.org.uk/system/files/Public%20files/inf206-guidelines-for-
internet-mediated-research.pdf [Accessed 31 May 2016].
• British Psychological Society (2014). Code of Human Research Ethics. Leicester:
St Andrews House. Available at: http://www.bps.org.uk/system/files/Public
%20files/code_of_human_research_ethics_dec_2014_inf180_web.pdf
[Accessed 31 March 2016].
• Buchanan, E. & Zimmer, M. (2012). Internet Research Ethics.
Plato.stanford.edu. Available at: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-
internet-research/ [Accessed 31 May 2016].