JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this article is to build upon prior work in social media ethical guidelines by highlighting an important and an as yet underdeveloped research consideration: How should we consider vulnerability when conducting public health research in the social media environment? The use of social media in public health, both platforms and their data, has advanced the field dramatically over the past two decades. Applied public health research in the social media space has led to more robust surveillance tools and analytic strategies, more targeted recruitment activities, and more tailored health education. Ethical guidelines when using social media for public health research must also expand alongside these increasing capabilities and uses. We base our discussion drawing from the definition of vulnerability as described in the Common Law, as individuals that are vulnerable to coercion or undue influence, such as children, prisoners, individuals with impaired decision-making capacity, or economically or educationally disadvantaged persons (45 CFS 46, Subpart A). Privacy, consent, and confidentiality have been hallmarks for ethical frameworks both in public health and social media research. To date, public health ethics scholarship has focused largely on practical guidelines and considerations for writing and reviewing social media research protocols. Such ethical guidelines have included collecting public data, reporting anonymized or aggregate results, and obtaining informed consent virtually. Our pursuit of the question related to vulnerability and public health research in the social media environment extends this foundational work in ethical guidelines and seeks advance research in this field and to provide a solid ethical footing on which future research can thrive.