A handout developed by Diana and Sandy listed best practices of online communities:

• Online communities are intentional communities. They need to be facilitated, accessible and pay attention to both process and content.
• Establishing protocols for discussion helps to define the online community in terms of: safety, respect, tolerance, diversity, and values. Protocols also help conference participants under stand the "rules of the road", for example, the importance of brevity online.
• Participants need and benefit from shortcuts. Technical tips, which take full advantage of the technology, are important.

Suggested links:
National conferencing project: www.nald.ca/firststeps/
The RiPAL network: www.nald.ca/ripal
Literacy Research Database: www.nald.ca/crd/
Literacies journal: www.literacyjournal.ca

Ethics in Practitioner Research
with Nancy Jackson

Rapporteur: Phyllis Steeves

The workshop began with each participant sharing information about their workplace or research interests. The range of needs and interests expressed provided an excellent springboard for a discussion of ethical practice. Ethics for research in practice were simply framed using seven points: information, understanding, respect, risk, power, anonymity and confidentiality, agreement.

Much of the thinking and most policies related to ethics are affected by the issue of legal liability. The federal government's Privacy Act, the Yukon Territory's Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, and Alberta's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act are examples of legislation related to the gathering of personal information and how it is used, stored and disseminated.

Researchers working collaboratively with and / or receiving research funding from educational institutions, non-government organizations or private corporations or foundations, must also consider various internal policies in addition to federal, provincial or territorial legislation.

Many funders are concerned about the possibility of being sued by research participants and have, or are working towards, developing policies and procedures as one way to minimize the risk. Central to this is the idea of 'informed consent', whereby the researcher works to ensure research participants understand in advance and agree (usually in writing) to the aims and processes of research.

With the weight of legal liability in the forefront of most institutional ethical procedures, other issues related to ethical research practices can easily be overshadowed. Clearly the informed consent process itself raises questions - there is so much potential for unethical practice. Questions related to power also need to be considered and addressed. Research 'findings' are given special authority and thus power in our society.