I had been vacillating on posting a draft because I wasn’t sure whether to call it: masking or disguising. Last week, while working on a slide deck for the 3rd Obfuscation Workshop, I decide on the latter, so here it is.

Disguising Reddit sources: The practices and efficacy of ethical research

ABSTRACT: Researchers of online forums might implement what Bruckman (2002) referred to as disguise. Heavy disguise, for instances, elides usernames and alters quoted prose to mitigate the exposure of online sources. I analyze six recent Reddit research reports, characterize their sourcing practices, levels of disguise, and test if their sources can be located via three different search indexes (i.e., Reddit, Google, and RedditSearch). I also interview three of the reports’ authors about their sourcing practices, influences, and experiences. Disguising sources can be effective, if done well. However, there is a lack of understanding, among users and researchers, about how online messages can be located and how they can persist, even after deletion. Also, I find that half of the reports inadvertently leaked information about their sources. Researchers should conduct similar site-specific investigations and develop practical guidelines that inform the conception, execution, and review of research using online sources.

KEYWORDS: ethics, research, online, Reddit, disguise, fabrication