When I was a student, I remember reading and discussing the ethics of social research as being akin to what nuclear scientists do. On one hand, a result of such research provides solutions to saving people's lives in the form of nuclear medicine.  On the other hand, a result of such research is the bomb and other terrifying weapons of mass destruction.

In the case of SNA, like much research that is out there, we face similar ethical dilemmas.  Do we want to forego rich understanding of social relationships because such knowledge gets into the wrong hands?  Do we want to be part of research--like that of the Army's--so that we can have a chance to intellectually and ethically influence such endeavors?

Indeed, knowledge is powerful, and particularly so with information that we amass from conducting SNA.  So, where are the ethical considerations in our academic papers?  Are there ethical publications like position pieces about our academic responsibility as SNA researchers, in particular?

In sum, I guess my contribution is this-- Do members of the SNA community include ethical discussions in their workshops, classrooms, and publications?  And if so, I'd love to see those references posted to this listserv.

Respectfully,
Marya Doerfel