For my ethnographic research project I decided to focus on travel vloggers, more specifically The BucketList Family. After narrowing down my research field to their online community particularly YouTube and Instagram, I am eager to observe this online community and delve into why users engage with their content pre Covid and during. At this point in the project it is important to consider the role that background research and ethics play in an auto-ethnographic study.
Background Research
Over recent years, travel vlogging has taken off in the digital world. Every month, more than one billion people visit Youtube to watch more than six billion hours of video, making Youtube a strong field site to explore how travellers interact with video content. Research on Youtube conducted in the US between 2012 and 2014 has demonstrated that views on travel related content is up 118% year over year. Platforms this video content is predominantly consumed on was roughly 30% mobile devices and 97% smartphone devices. It was also interesting to find that eighty-eight percent of YouTube travel searches focused on destinations, attractions/points of interest or general travel ideas. This study of travel content on Youtube has reflected that consumers have a desire to connect with creators and brands. Life stories in travel vlogs that highlight personal travel experiences have become increasingly popular, with travel vlogs receiving 4 x more social engagement than other types of travel content on Youtube.
“Netnography is ethnography adapted to the study of online communities” (Kozinets, 2002). It utilises the information available online to “understand the needs and decision influences of relevant online consumer groups” (Kozinets, 2002).
What I have learned through my background research is that Netnography as a research method can be less obtrusive, as the observations of consumers is not conducted in a fabricated environment, rather it is in a space they normally would participate in. However, I have discovered a bit of a grey area surrounding what is informed consent and what is not when research is conducted in a digital space. “Ethnographers are professional lurkers” (Kozinets, 2002), meaning they gather information not directly given to them by research participants. Although Netnography broadens the scope of potential participants, there are ethical dilemmas this research presents.
Ethical Considerations
“Research Ethics are the professional standards that guide academic research practices and processes” (Moore, 2020). Being a qualitative researcher and situating myself in an environment where I am observing other people’s expressions, presents ethical challenges associated with representation, voice and credibility. Merten (2014) raises some important ethical concerns:
- What are the opportunities for the participant to speak back to the researcher?
- Does the participant have the option of withdrawing use of their data?
- Do research participants have the right to play an active role in their portrayal?
To avoid psychological harm of members to the online community of The BucketList Family, I need to ensure sensitivitiy in the way I report the results. Kozinets (2002) outlines some ethical concerns apparent in netnography as being privacy, confidentiality, appropriation of other personal stories, and informed consent. As I am entering a space where people expressions are publicly available and informed consent is difficult to gain, I need to respect their privacy and represent them in a fair and truthful manner.
With the role of a researcher, comes great responsibility to represent the community under investigation fairly. Adopting an active and adaptive listening approach will ensure that I am engaging with the voices surrounding each social media post and “take account of the heterogeneity of online platforms as well as the interactions that occur within them” (Mertens, 2014). Focusing on some interactions and not others poses the risk of misconceptions, making it imperative to observe all interactions within the field site in their larger context. With observation alone, it “offers only a partial engagement with, and thus, limited understanding of, social media” (Mertens 2014).
To represent my media niche, I need to represent The Bucket List Family as authentically as possible, avoid using peoples direct expressions and revealing their identities, or miscommunicating their expressions. As a researcher bringing my own individual theoretical lens and biases when interpreting meaning, I need to ensure I make no unfair or exaggerating claims that will characterise a participant unfairly.
The digital environment complicates ethical research as it is difficult to promise anonymity. Coming into this project I have my own theoretical framework which will inform my data collection process. A theoretical framework can be seen “as a specifically designed set of lenses that you use in order to see the world in a particular way” (Troudi 2010).
Ethics in research can be quite daunting, however I am going to present my results with the best interests for my participants in mind.
Until next time,
Georgia x
References
Kozinets, R 2002, ‘The Field Behind The Screen: Using Netnography for Marketing Research in Online Communities’, Journal of Marketing Research, vol 39, no.1, p.61
Mertens, D 2014, ‘Ethical Use of Qualitative Data and Findings’, The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Data Analysis (Edited by Use Flick), Sage: Los Angeles, 510 – 523.
Troudi, S 2010, ‘Paradigmatic nature and theoretical framework in educational research, In English In Learning’, Learning in English, TESOL Arabia Publications. pp. 315-323
Georgia Woods 