In a recent adhoc survey (http://twtpoll.com/duych1), 90% of respondents indicated that they had a tacit understanding or verbal policy on using social media for information gathering purposes. The majority indicated that they did not have a formal policy but adhered to the privacy and ethical guidelines of APRA, CASE or AFP. Is having an informal understanding good enough? Are the current ethical standards set forth by APRA International sufficient in the context of social media?
Unlike other sources, social media is an interactive medium. We as researchers engage in various social media channels both professionally and personally. How do we distinguish when we are prospect researcher and when we are friend with our donors or prospects on Facebook or Twitter? Is it ethical of us to prevent LinkedIn users from knowing when we access their profile? Is material secured from social media truly public information, and what of its accuracy?
Using the framework of the current ethical standards, APRA International is undergoing a robust discussion on these very questions and others as it pertains to social media, ethics and prospect research. The goal is to create ethical standards in the context of social media as well as a policy guideline for prospect researchers to reference. The committee is using the current pillars (integrity, accountability and conflict of interest) found in the APRA ethical standards as a framework for the social media ethical standards. There is an interesting conversation evolving around the concepts of practice and a potential new pillar: conduct. Thus far, practice is being defined as how we utilize social media in an ethical fashion as prospect researchers and conduct is how we engage and behave within social media.
Work is ongoing with statements currently being drafted and finessed. Before these statements are forwarded for final approval, let me know what you think. What should be included in a social media ethics statement? What should be included in a social media policy for prospect researchers? We are all participants of social media, whether we simply lurk or actively engage. Your thoughts and experiences are invaluable to the construction of a relevant ethical stance on social media and prospect research. Ethics informs everything we do and social media is no exception.
Liz Rejman, CFRE
Liz is currently serving as the Canadian representative on the Social Media and Ethics committee for APRA International. She can be reached at elizabeth.rejman@lhsc.on.ca or on twitter at @erejman.