Private Conversations and Public Audiences: Exploring the Ethical Implications of Using Mobile Telephones to Research Young People’s Lives

Abstract

Recent developments in mobile and information technology provide new ways of conducting research with young people. The ubiquitous use of mobile telephones by young people, for example, allows researchers to interact with participants who are neither physically present nor spatially fixed, so that data can be captured as young people go about their daily lives. Using mobile phones to interview young people, however, presents a number of ethical challenges which may not be addressed by standard ethical frameworks. Drawing on a study of 42 university students aged 20–25 years old in Wales (the United Kingdom [UK]), this article examines the practical and ethical issues associated with conducting in-depth interviews via mobile telephones, and highlights the challenge of maintaining participant confidentiality when young people choose to conduct their mobile telephone conversations in public places. This article contends that research guidelines need to be more responsive to young people’s use of technology and their shifting interpretations of public/private boundaries to encourage good research practice that safeguards young people’s personal data.