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Ethical Issues in Applied Linguistics Scholarship
Edited by Peter I. De Costa, Amr Rabie-Ahmed and Carlo Cinaglia
[Research Methods in Applied Linguistics 7] 2024
► pp. 72–86

Chapter 5
Ethical considerations for research involving computer-assisted language learning, social media, and online environments

 | University of South Florida
 | University of South Florida
 | University of South Florida
While ethics has received a great deal of attention in research exploring second language (L2) learning and teaching within offline settings (e.g., face-to-face classrooms), there has been relatively less discussion of ethical decision-making processes in online research settings. However, online research presents new ethical challenges which need to be addressed, encompassing issues such as the blurred distinction between public and private data, source traceability, online security, and the potential risk of personal information disclosure. These concerns are particularly relevant to computer-assisted language learning (CALL) research employing information and communication technologies. The current chapter discusses ethical challenges in CALL by focusing on both classroom-oriented CALL research (i.e., L2 studies conducted in more formal educational settings) and social media-related CALL investigations (i.e., studies conducted in informal settings, typically involving social media platforms and mobile apps). Specifically, this chapter addresses three common ethical challenges faced by researchers, including: (1) gaining informed consent, (2) obtaining permissions, and (3) protecting participants’ privacy. We first provide concrete examples from published literature to illustrate effective strategies for navigating these challenges. Afterwards, we offer critical reflections and additional practical suggestions aimed at helping CALL scholars responsibly conduct research in digital locales.
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Contextualizing ethics in CALL research
  • Common ethical challenges faced
    • Gaining informed consent
    • Obtaining permissions
    • Protecting participants’ privacy
  • Ethics-in-practice
  • Commentary and reflection
  • References
Published online: 21 November 2024
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/rmal.7.05mar
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