Enjeux éthiques d’une enquête sur des actes communicationnels anonymes autour d’une pratique de santé controversée

Abstract

This article aims to return to the place of ethics as a situated practice in our research on knowledge legitimization logics related to practical know-how concerning the therapeutic use of cannabis. After defining the specificities of our research object, our conceptual framework and its epistemological particularities, we detail our methodological choices and the issues inherent to Information and Communication Sciences research in the field of online health on an illegal and controversial practice. We therefore question ethics on several levels. First about our relationship to the individuals who make up our field by detailing our exploratory approach. Then we explain our methodological approach in the reaching of the actors. Finally, we return to the ethical issues raised by the observation of expert situations that combine knowledge about health from realistic epistemological paradigms and the interpretative dimension of the analysis of experiential testimonies.