Why do I run on so?????

[sarahmichelef]

So I'm in the process of writing up my statement for my department's human subjects committee... I wrote a draft of it yesterday and, despite Bob's telling me to be brief and they would ask me for more info if they needed it, I rambled on and on and on about how big my snowball sample could get, etc. Which, while useful for my actual dissertation prospectus, really has no bearing on whether or not my research design is ethically sound. Maybe it's because I had to fight to be allowed to do my chat paper, but this project could not be more run-of-the-mill in terms of the methods...

So, I give you what I really want to say:

Dear Committee,
I want to study 'bloggers. I promise to treat them nice. Please let me do my dissertation.
Love,
alphasarah

Blargh.

Comments

[alphasarah.livejournal.com]

I knew that your mom was a sociology PhD, didn't I? I just didn't remember it.

And yeah. I had a bit of a time convincing one member of the committee that observing in public chat rooms was no different than observing interactions at the mall, and that it did not require informed consent. In the end, I convinced him. His comment to me went something like, "I'm persuaded professionally but uncomfortable personally."

Hrm. Public and private online. Fascinating. Somebody oughta write a book about that. :^D