Studying Politically Vulnerable Communities Online: Ethical Dilemmas, Questions, and Solutions

06/03/2018

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by   Robert Gorwa, et al.

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This short article introduces the concept of political vulnerability for social media researchers. How are traditional notions of harm challenged by research subjects in politically vulnerable communities? Through a selection of case studies, we explore some of the trade-offs, challenges, and questions raised by research that seeks be robust and transparent while also preserving anonymity and privacy, especially in high-stakes, politically fraught contexts.