If a researcher creates a mass panic to do a study, that's clearly unethical. But is it unethical to use someone else's mistake and do studies on the aftereffects if you, as the researcher, had nothing to do with the original mistake that caused a mass panic?
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Research on things you didn't cause is one of the classic ways to better understand a sensitive issue that would otherwise be difficult to look at. technologyreview.com/s/508381/the-n
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+1, some of the most interesting studies are natural experimental designs looking at exactly this
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Thanks guys! I remembered from one of my classes that a lot of the studies done by Nazis during World War II were disregarded due to the huge ethical implications. But those studies were purposely done and violated ethical standards. In this situation, it was a mistake ...
from the beginning by someone (obviously a systemic issue as well, since a mistake like that shouldn't be allowed to happen so easily). In any event, hopefully the data helps researchers understand how information propagates via social media in situations of a national emergency.
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