Ethics in fan studies research

Working in fan studies raises a large number of potential ethical questions for researchers: issues of respecting participant anonymity compete with issues of recognizing fans for their labor and fan works; issues of protecting vulnerable subjects compete with giving them the opportunity to have their voices heard. This chapter considers the range of ethical issues that researchers might come across within fan studies and offers suggestions of the ways that fan studies researchers might think through their ethical practice and the negotiations involved in conducting research with a range of relevant parties, including participants, professional bodies, and academic institutions. In the context of an ever-changing media culture in which fan practices regularly change alongside new technological developments, it offers some ways for researchers to think about how to respond to these changes and challenges.