Question

A researcher conducting participant observation in an online community forum encounters a heated discussion involving offensive language and discriminatory remarks. How should the researcher ethically respond to this situation while maintaining the integrity of the research?

• A. Ignore the incident and continue collecting data as planned
• B. Report the offensive comments to the forum moderators and potentially compromise the anonymity of participants
• C. Discuss the situation with a research ethics committee and consider alternative data collection methods that do not expose participants to harmful content
• D. Engage in direct confrontation with the participants using offensive language, reflecting the researcher’s personal values

Answer 1

Answer: (C)

Discuss the situation with a research ethics committee and consider alternative data collection methods that do not expose participants to harmful content

Answer 2

Ethical research requires that any harmful content encountered is addressed, ideally by discussing with an ethics committee and exploring alternative methods that minimize harm to participants.