Smart Methods? WhatsApp, Ethics, and Inclusive Knowledge Production

This bonus content is a reading from Platypus, the CASTAC Blog. The full post by Catherina Wilson can be read at https://blog.castac.org/2026/09/smart-methods-whatsapp-ethics-and-inclusive-knowledge-production/. About the post: Digital tools, such as WhatsApp, have offered methodological opportunities for connection, data collection, and the democratization of knowledge production, in part because they are easily accessible and affordable. The advantages notwithstanding, we must critically reflect on the limitations and ethical implications of these digital platforms. Because WhatsApp is integrated into the lives of our research participants, it proved to be a useful tool during our own collaborative analysis and writing process too.