ABSTRACT
The Internet is, in many ways, a hostile place for women, people of color, and other marginalized groups. At the same time that the Internet has grown increasingly toxic, rhetoric and composition researchers have become more focused on understanding how the Internet may complicate research practices. Feminist research methodologies have been particularly influential in these conversations, as researchers have asked how best to enact ethical research practices in digital spaces. However, the field is yet to confront how the unique dynamics of online spaces may not only challenge feminist research methodologies but even endanger feminist researchers. Specifically, online issues of access, affective labor, and harassment present significant complications for the feminist methodological principles of reciprocity, reflexivity, and transparency. Drawing on case studies from Internet-based researchers, this chapter thus presents practical, ethical guidelines that can guide feminist researchers who must navigate concerns of access, affective labor, and/or targeted harassment.
