Online behavioural tracking in Internet gambling research: ethical and methodological issues

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Griffiths, MD ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8880-6524 and Whitty, MW, 2010. Online behavioural tracking in Internet gambling research: ethical and methodological issues. International Journal of Internet Research Ethics, 3 (1), pp. 104-117. ISSN 1936-492X

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Abstract

In contrast to offline gambling, the use of online behavioural tracking presents an opportunity for researchers in the social sciences to examine the actual and real-time behaviour engaged in by gamblers. If gaming companies can use behavioural tracking to learn more about their clientele, there is no reason why researchers could not adopt the same practice in carrying out their research. After examining why the online medium is a good place to conduct research with online gamblers, the paper examines the (i) methodological issues in online gambling research, (ii) behavioural tracking tools in online gambling, (iii) the ethics of online data collection by the gambling industry, (iv) ethical issues in online behavioural tracking research, and (v) implications of online behavioural tracking for problem gambling screening criteria. In the main, the most salient problems that online researchers in the gambling studies field are likely to face concern ethical issues (informed consent, deception, public versus private spaces, lurking). Despite such ethical dilemmas, these are not insurmountable and can be remedied if careful thought and rationale is provided.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	International Journal of Internet Research Ethics
Creators:	Griffiths, M.D. and Whitty, M.W.
Publisher:	Center for Information Policy Research
Date:	2010
Volume:	3
Number:	1
ISSN:	1936-492X
Rights:	© Mark Griffiths and Monica Whitty. Also licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No-Derivs 3.0 Unported License (http://creativecommons.Org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/).
Divisions:	Schools > School of Social Sciences
Record created by:	EPrints Services
Date Added:	09 Oct 2015 11:05
Last Modified:	09 Jun 2017 13:49
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/22666