YouTube and Research Ethics

Tobias Raun has spent the past couple years using trans* YouTube videos (particularly those created by FTMs) as research material for his PhD.
Questions for trans* YouTubers:
1)Has Tobias Raun ever contacted you?
2) Do you think researchers should inform trans* YouTubers that they are research subjects?
3) Do you think researchers should ask trans* YouTubers for their consent before using their videos for research purposes?
4) How does it make you feel knowing your videos have been analyzed for research purposes without your consent?
5) Would you answer these questions different if the researcher were trans*?
Basically, I just want to start a dialogue about this. Tobias is probably not the only academic to find our videos and want to analyze them. I have really mixed feelings about this and am curious to know about what everyone else thinks.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• trans*
• transgender
• transsexual
• ftm
• research
• ethics
• tobias
• raun
• denmark

[TobiasRaun]

Discussing research ethics and new media are very important. There is a seminar on Transgender Studies in Copenhagen in December, trying to inform students and researchers with ways to do research in respect and dialogue with the trans community. I myself am both a researcher, a trans activist and a trans person. If possible please come and bring these concerns to the discussions that are open for all.

[sillyyetsuccinct]

@TobiasRaun If you would like me to remove your name from the title of the video, I will. While I have the power to make this video show up on the first page every time someone googles your name, I'm not interested in using power that way. Let me know if it makes you feel uncomfortable and I will take care of it.

[TobiasRaun]

Just to clarify: I am deeply concerned and work with the ethics about researching transgender vloggers. I have informed all the vloggers appearing in my dissertation and those who have responded have all given their consent. Furthermore I have interviewed these vloggers (or tried to), and all the people that I have gotten in contact with have all supported the research. It is true that I started out with not getting in contact - see my initial reflections in my article "Screen-births.."

[sillyyetsuccinct]

@TobiasRaun Thank you, Tobias. It's good to hear from you and to hear an update. It's an important discussion to have. Since you aren't the only researcher out there watching our videos, we're probably going to run into this alot in the future. There are many different opinions and people have different thoughts and feelings about it. It's good for me to hear how the others are dealing with this.

[MrAustinHJ]

I think this is a great post! I have also toyed with the idea of including youtube videos from transmen in my dissertation project on transmasculine identity. In talking with my committee, ethics have been a central topic. How do we justify using these videos? Are they public information? Is it a breach of privacy? etc. As a transman, I would feel uncomfortable doing it without getting consent from the individual. New media is presenting academics with a lot of new challenges in research.

[macrmac]

There is not doing something in a "wrong" manner (this being from perspective of having "rights" to do something) and then there is doing something "respectfully". While this should be one in the same thing now a days sadly there is a division. A common courtesy & proper conduct in literary world is to ask permission...

I for one am grateful for all that you present to the trans community & the way you present yourself.

[TobiasRaun]

I appreciate your comments and thoughts on this matter. And yes, I would appreciate if you would remove my name. Hope to see you at the seminar.

[MicSkold]

I have not heard from him. I agree with what you said Warren, but sadly we can't police anyone's use of Youtube. Still, I am happy that you questioned his ethics and are not afraid to ask these questions.

[HappyHyperHippie]

(will add that it is late and I am very tired, so hopefully that made sense!)

[HappyHyperHippie]

@ResaResenstiehl True, however when I'm asked to drive 50+ miles to speak at a college for free, when I would be offered some compensation if I had a degree or official title, I find it insulting. They want to pay the "professionals" to come speak about us, when frequently, trans people have had to educate the professionals about ourselves. They gained their knowledge FROM US and are then getting paid to share it. If I did the research, I'm going to get paid for it, not some professor.