Beyond authorship and accountability? The ethics of doctoral research dissemination in a changing world

Abstract

Discussion of ethics in doctoral training courses usually focuses on the initial stages of planning and conducting field research. Shifting attention onto the responsibility of the researcher to share their findings throughout the research process, we set out to consider how doctoral students can conceptualise and engage ethically with research dissemination in the broader context of the globalised knowledge economy. A comparative analysis of the ethical guidelines produced by BERA (British Educational Research Association) and ASA (Association of Social Anthropologists of the UK and Commonwealth) reveals that both are more concerned with the possible benefits or harm of dissemination to those directly involved in or affected by the research, and pay little attention to the ethical implications of multimodal and digital dissemination to unknown audiences. Drawing on the concept of research as a moral endeavour and the problematising of collaboration as an ethical issue within participatory and ethnographic research debates, we explore the implications for doctoral training courses. We argue that engaging students in discussion on dissemination can open a space to explore who benefits most from research undertaken.

Ethical integrity in doctoral research: A focus on classroom remediation

“…Prioritising the reduction of potential harm is crucial to ensure that the dissertation research participants do not suffer any harmful effects. Planning carefully is essential to reduce potential negative consequences in situations where ambiguities may occur and cause discomfort or jeopardise the participants' well-being [2]. Projects in international development frequently come with various difficulties, which can expose participants to a range of harm.…”

How Supervisors Can Support Doctoral Students to Publish and Not Perish in Academia

“…For supervisors to be able to guide their students in disseminating their research beyond the confines of academia, they should be trained in public-engagement strategies and tools, such as writing for a larger audience, utilising social media and engaging with traditional media. However, all researchers should be mindful of producing research and the ethical implications of multimodal and digital dissemination to unknown audiences [139]. For Lee and Kamler [140], as publishing pressures increase during and after candidature, pedagogies should adopt a more explicit outreach orientation, developing a stronger orientation to induction and participation in peer-reviewed activities.…”

What happens to University of Hertfordshire DClinPsy research? A survey exploring community dissemination & barriers that prevent this

“…However, more recently, there has been a move towards less traditional dissemination practices, with researchers beginning to expand the ways in which information is shared, and with whom findings are shared (Brownson et.al., 2018). Researchers are now more regularly sharing findings through routes accessible to those outside of academia, e.g., on the radio, in town halls or social media (Robinson-Pant & Singal, 2020). Disseminating research findings to participants partaking in studies, and the wider communities being researched via these accessible routes, is becoming an emerging priority for researchers (Kuo, Gase & Inkelas, 2015).…”