On the ethics of social network research in libraries

Purpose In this paper, faculty librarians at Montana State University explore the ethical dimensions of conducting research with user-generated social networking site (SNS) data. In an effort to guide Librarian-Researchers, this paper first offers a background discussion of privacy ethics across disciplines, then proposes a library-specific ethical framework for conducting SNS research. Design By surveying the literature in other disciplines, three key considerations are identified that can inform ethical practice in the field of Library Science: context, expectation, and value analysis. For each of these considerations, the framework is tailored to consider ethical issues as they relate to libraries and our practice as Librarian-Researchers. Findings The unique role of the Librarian-Researcher demands an ethical framework specific to that practice. The findings of this paper propose such a framework. Practical Implications Librarian-Researchers are at a unique point in our history. In exploring SNSs as a source of data to conduct research and improve services, we become challenged by conflicting and equally cherished values of patron privacy and information access. By evaluating research according to context, expectations, and value, this framework provides an ethical path forward for research using SNS data. Originality/Value As of this article’s publication, there is no existing ethical framework for conducting SNS research in libraries. The proposed framework is informed both by library values and by broader research values, and therefore provides unique guidelines for the Librarian-Researcher. INTRODUCTION The growing practice of collecting and analyzing user-generated data from Social Networking Services (SNSs) has given rise to new ethical questions and considerations. As librarians conducting SNS research, we must additionally contend with long-standing professional values that protect patron privacy. We explore these questions through a review of ethical practice in SNS research in other disciplines, and then by drawing parallels to the library profession. A case study description of SNS-based research conducted by academic librarians at Montana State University (MSU) illustrates some of the challenges inherent in SNS research in libraries. This article proposes a loosening of a traditional absolutist view of patron privacy, and suggests an ethical framework for SNS-based research in libraries centered around context, expectations, and value analysis.