View article

We reflect on the ethical challenges associated with designing, developing and implementing a socio-technical system for personal reflection. During our work in creating and refining GoingOK, we have encountered ethical challenges relating to issues associated with vulnerability, safety, anonymity, privacy, transparency, agency, trust, identity, well-being, and resilience. We discuss ethical challenges as they occurred in four key activities: (1) promoting author well-being, (2) negotiating meaningful participation, (3) balancing stakeholder interests, and (4) initiating socio-cultural sensitive analysis. We then identify four guiding principles that have directed our work and helped us address the ethical challenges. They are the (1) interaction principle, (2) pragmatic principle, (3) respect principle, and (4) trust principle. We conclude with our thoughts on how both the challenges and the principles might inform other work.