Ethical and privacy considerations for research using online fandom data

As online fandom continues to grow, so do the public data created by fan creations and interactions. With researchers and journalists regularly engaging with those data (and not always asking permission), many fans are concerned that their content might end up in front of the wrong audience, which c...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Brianna Dym, Casey Fiesler
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Organization for Transformative Works 2020-06-01
Series:Transformative Works and Cultures
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journal.transformativeworks.org/index.php/twc/article/view/1733/2445
Description
Summary:As online fandom continues to grow, so do the public data created by fan creations and interactions. With researchers and journalists regularly engaging with those data (and not always asking permission), many fans are concerned that their content might end up in front of the wrong audience, which could lead to privacy violations or even harassment from within or outside of fandom. To better understand fan perspectives on the collection and analysis of public data as a methodology, we conducted both an interview study and a survey to solicit responses that would help provide a broader understanding of fandom's privacy norms as they relate to the ethical use of data. We use these findings to revisit and recommend best practices for working with public data within fandom.
ISSN:1941-2258
1941-2258