Heads up: some academic research taking place

[RowanMumsnet]

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

They got it past ethics because everything posted on MN is entirely open to public view anyway. It's like analysing the text of letters to the editors in a newspaper - you don't have to ask the letter writers (or even the newspaper) because they've already published their words

I get that. But in which case why are MNHQ asking our permission? As this is a public site I assumed there must be some special case for why MNHQ was asking us to opt out... Surely it will skew their research if a pile of people opt out (who all belong to the group "don't want to take part in research when we don't know what it's for")

Many, many more people see what we have written on this totally public forum than will ever read the paper and or thesis that this work will be reported in. I have no problem with my posts being used.

I think it sounds interesting, and as Margaret said, everything is out there anyway.
Frankly, any student could study any element they chose to, without involving MNHQ.

They aren't asking permission, they are courteously giving us the option to be excluded.

I wonder whether MNHQ are letting them check for (exclude?) posts by the same person under different usernames. As otherwise I agree, I don't see why they involved them at all.

I don't want any of my posts to be included either. Thank you.

Placemarking for more MNHQ comments.

This sounds interesting. Can we know the name of the University (Universities)? I'd like to see what else the team have done in this line.

Count me out, thank you.

I prefer to choose which research I participate in, I read the agreements, I sign the agreements.

Anyone could do any kind of research they wanted without needing any kind of permission in any case, it’s an open website which anyone in the world can view! That’s kind of the point, surely....

It is bizarre why so many people are getting worked up about this; it’s completely anonymous and anonymised!

Count me out. For these purposes I'm a non consenting adult - or is that a non sequitur since you didn't ask me in the first place?

I don't want anything I post include in this.

Please add my name to what I assume will be a really really long list

Count me out aswell ta.

Pleas exclude my posts.

Forgot to say - pop me on the list of non-consenting people as well, thanks!

I'd like to opt out please

Looks like most posters are opting out.

Bearing in mind that all posts are publically available anyway, and can be cross referenced with the database at the click of a mouse, I’d say that opting out publically makes you more visible rather than less - especially if this applies across user names

If I didn’t want my comments to be the subject of public scrutiny and analysis then I wouldn’t be posting on MN anyway.

‘I post on a large scale Internet forum for privacy.’

Dear God.

What MargaretCavendish and picklemepopcorn said. The option to opt out and the anonymisation of (already theoretically anonymous) usernames are simply good practice.

It's a hell of a lot more anonymous (and ethical, and potentially valuable) than the lifting of threads (including usernames) by the DM et al, which we all know goes on and still post anyway.

What AnElderlyLadyOfMediumHeight said.

I cannot understand why people are opting out. Why? It is far more ethical and interesting than the straight lift from MN site to Daily Mail site, and you cannot opt out of that.

How strange

I don't understand why people are opting out? If it's because you don't want to be 'outed' you do know that mumsnet share posts on twitter and FB daily and mumsnet talk always features high on google searches? If you want anonymity this is not the place!!

Feel free to use my posts. I'm not very interesting though.

MMHQ Can I clarify - will the researchers have access to anything only MNHQ can see, or is it purely just anything that is available publically? Thanks.