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MNHQ

Heads up: some academic research taking place

664 replies

RowanMumsnet · 30/08/2018 16:53

Hello

Some researchers from a UK university are going to be collecting posts from some boards on Mumsnet over the next few weeks. They will be looking only at posts published from this point onwards. Selected posts will be anonymised (ie usernames will not be stored anywhere), and all processes will be GDPR-compliant.

EDITED BY MNHQ: to be clear, NO private or back-end data is being shared with the researchers and they will have NO access to any extra information about users. They will only be analysing published posts, ie things that are already in the public domain.

The researchers will analyse the text of the anonymised posts as part of their study. The full text of these anonymised posts will not be reproduced in the study - no pieces of text that make you or your situation identifiable will be published.

Once the study is complete, the database containing the anonymised posts will be destroyed.

Obviously we'd love to tell you what the study is about - but we can't because it will skew the results. However once the research has been completed we'll share it with you and you can read all about it. The academics running the study are people we've worked with before, and the topic is one we think lots of MN users will agree is interesting and useful.

IMPORTANT BIT: if you DO NOT want your posts to be considered for inclusion in the research, please shout here on this thread or email us on [email protected]

And of course let us know if you have any questions and we'll see if we can answer them.

Thanks

MNHQ

OP posts:
SassitudeandSparkle · 31/08/2018 17:25

You need to change the title of the post (which is now sticky, I see) to make it clearer that people's posts are going to be used. The title seems rather misleading tbh.

ChestyNut · 31/08/2018 17:22

Opting out, I do not consent.

BoneyBackJefferson · 31/08/2018 17:19

Another name for opting out, thanks.

Cockapoomummy · 31/08/2018 17:11

When does the project finish?

IdahoJones · 31/08/2018 17:09

I'm sure the posts from Dave from Dagenham posing as a young mum with cracked nipples will be invaluable to the social sciences.

CoteDAzur · 31/08/2018 16:55

Since @MNHQ will not provide any information about MNers (e.g. IP address) to these researchers, I don't mind them including my MN posts in their analysis.

Then again, I learned English as a foreign language at secondary school and I don't live in the UK, so any value they get out of my posts for language and word frequency analysis will probably be negative Grin

Gingerivy · 31/08/2018 16:48

Please exclude me from this as well. Thank you.

SassitudeandSparkle · 31/08/2018 16:34

Don't include any of my posts under any username, current or past thanks.

Why am I opting out? You have no idea who is using this data! This is not how research projects are run. It is hard to understand why any Uni research committee would authorise this project, I suspect it is commercial.

ClosdesMouches · 31/08/2018 16:31

Those of you who are asking MNHQ to not include you under future name changes, you need to read Rowan's reply to me upthread.

twosunbathingdogs · 31/08/2018 16:20

Hi, can I please opt out too. I’m a regular name changer so can all my old names and future names be opted out too.
Thanks

twosunbathingdogs · 31/08/2018 16:19

Please exclude my posts for the study.

C8H10N4O2 · 31/08/2018 15:33

@RowanMumsnet

We've edited the OP now to make this clearer - thanks

Thanks I think that helps to make it clear that only currently published posts are in scope. I am still interested in their use (or not) of surrogate names although I confess that is partly just curiosity about the methods.

NotTheWayISeeIt · 31/08/2018 15:08

Hi, can I please opt out too. I’m a regular name changer so can all my old names and future names be opted out too.
Thanks

TopBitchoftheWitches · 31/08/2018 15:03

Will relationship section be included in this research?
I ask as this was decided to not be able to be shared a while ago.

Yes, I know it's all public, just wondered.

brizzledrizzle · 31/08/2018 14:52

I don't want to be included in this unethical research.

CaoNiMa · 31/08/2018 14:28

foaming hotbed of transphobia

< hollow laugh >

BetterEatCheese · 31/08/2018 13:51

Am happy to be included - it's in the public domain already once I've posted it on the internet for all to see!

Anyonewhoknows · 31/08/2018 13:18

Lizzie genuine question - why are you so bothered? Anyone can do any research on anything that you have posted on MN. You wouldn't necessarily know about it. So why post on MN if you don't want to take that risk?
Not being goady at all - been on MN a looong time myself and raged about various changes but this seems ridiculous
Fuck the Daily Mail, because that will stop them quoting me obviously

LizzieMacQueen · 31/08/2018 13:13

Please add me to the list to be excluded. Thanks @MNHQ

Anyonewhoknows · 31/08/2018 13:12

Why oh why do posters think that by adding "fuck the Daily Mail" that their comments won't be lifted? Makes me cringe every time I read it.
So anyone can do any research or make public on any comments that you have put into the public domain (which you agreed to in the t&c when you signed up with MN) but now that MN have actually asked you if you would like to be excluded it is suddenly all about privacy and posters are getting funny about it!

Isn't this batshit crazy or am I missing something?

AmyRhodes · 31/08/2018 13:06

If only the research focused on the foaming hotbed of transphobia in the so-called "Feminism chat" that Mumsnet HQ is so indifferent towards.

MNHQ
RowanMumsnet · 31/08/2018 12:45

@C8H10N4O2

Why oh why aren’t people understanding this??

The questions have been around non public data or removed data. They were not addressed in the initial posting so it wasn't possible to "understand" how those categories were being addressed.

We've edited the OP now to make this clearer - thanks

And thanks also to those opting out - we'll add your names

OP posts:
Orchiddingme · 31/08/2018 12:36

karyatide presumably though you felt your research was ethical otherwise you wouldn't have put it forward though? And similar to previous research?

Just because an ethics committee don't agree with something doesn't make it unethical. They tend to find it hard to know what to do with already existing social media data as it's not similar to other types of data which the researcher produces themselves.

PhilomenaButterfly · 31/08/2018 12:36

If it's about a parenting issue, I don't post about those much anyway. Only in passing on a couple of long running _Chat threads.

GarethSouthgatesWaistcoat · 31/08/2018 12:33

Count me out please.

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