Citation

Enghoff O, Aldridge J. Int. J. Drug Policy 2019; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

School of Law, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom. Electronic address: judith.aldridge@manchester.ac.uk.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.drugpo.2019.01.023

PMID

30711411

Abstract

We alert readers to the value of using unsolicited online data in drug policy research by highlighting web-based content relevant to drug policy generated by four distinct types of actor: people who consume, supply or produce illicit drugs, online news websites and state or civil society organisations. These actors leave 'digital traces' across a range of internet platforms, and these traces become available to researchers to use as data - although they have not been solicited by researchers, and so have not been created specifically to fulfil the aims of research projects. This particular type of data entails certain strengths, limitations and ethical challenges, and we aim to assist researchers in understanding these by drawing on selected examples of published research using unsolicited online data that have generated valuable drug policy insights not possible using other traditional data sources. We argue for the continued and increased importance of using unsolicited online data so that drug policy scholarship keep pace with recent developments in the global landscape of drug policies and illicit drug practices.

Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Language: en

Keywords

Online data; Online markets; Online methods; Unsolicited data