ABSTRACT
From a researcher’s perspective, perhaps the most attractive aspect of virtual worlds (VWs) is that they are the sites of enormous amounts of language production, both in users’ native language(s) and in others they wish to practice. Although the technology we use today has evolved greatly since 1996, many of the ethical concerns remain the same. As with other forms of online field research, there are three key components that we must consider: group accessibility, public versus private spaces, and perceived privacy. All research should maintain high ethical standards. It is sometimes easy to forget that the avatars that inhabit VWs are all being controlled by real-world individuals, but we must keep in mind that many of those people not only have large financial investments in their avatars (through VW fees, changes in appearance, clothing, housing, etc.) but also have strong emotional investments.
