The use of social media platforms (such as Facebook) for research recruitment has continued to increase, especially during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Social media enables researchers to reach diverse communities that often do not have their voices heard in research. Social media research recruitment, however, can pose risks to both potential participants and the researchers. This topic paper presents ethical considerations related to social media recruitment, and offers an example of harassment and hate speech risks when social media is used for research recruitment. We explore the implications of hate speech risks for ethical research.

With a fresh start to the new year, we are excited to introduce the new editorial team at the Journal of Critical Dietetics, Catherine Littler and Rachel Hitayezu. Catherine comes to us with a background in human nutrition with much of her work focusing on gendered food ideology and social food justice issues, particularly food insecurity. Catherine will be transitioning into the position of Editor over the coming months. Rachel, a Registered Dietitian with a Master's degree in human nutrition and a passion for health equity, joins us as our Administrative Assistant!

“Household food insecurity refers to the inadequate or insecure access to food because of financial constraints” (Tarasuk & Mitchell, 2020). More than 4 million Canadians are affected by food insecurity (McIntyre, et al., 2016; Tarasuk & Mitchell, 2020). Social factors such as income, are more significant determinants of food security and health than lifestyle choices (Mikkonen & Raphael, 2010).  A Universal Basic Income (UBI) is a financial allowance granted to all working age citizens which ensures that there is a minimum income level, regardless of current or previous employment status (Forget, 2018). The available UBI research and similar programs such as the Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB) and Old Age Security (OAS) have been shown to reduce food insecurity (McIntyre, et al., 2016, Brown & Tarasuk, 2019). This paper investigates how a Canadian Universal Basic Income could impact food insecurity by acting on the most influential determinant of health: income.