Ethical issues in conducting sex research on the internet

Abstract

The Internet offers a “virtual world” in which to carry out innovative sex research, but this new world may entail new ethical dilemmas. Ethical issues in recruitment, informed consent, data collection, and record keeping are examined. Applying common sense and current ethical codes for conducting sex research are sufficient in most cases. Special care and procedures may be required to obtain data from children and to protect the privacy of sensitive data and records. Researchers should be aware of, and should report, threats to data integrity and potential biases in participants' responses when they respond by computer.