Tracking the Truth or Selling One’s Soul? Reflections on the Ethics of a Piece of Commissioned Research

Abstract

This paper takes as its starting point a decision to accept a particular commission for a piece of educational research which is subject to contractual restrictions. In the light of recent debate on the contentious politics and ethics of contractual research, it then addresses the problem of what might constitute an ethical defence, or critique, of such research and such contracts.

Conducting commissioned research in neoliberal academia: The conditions evaluations impose on research practice

“…Rather, the debate focused on the report as a product that would soon be published. The scientific search for 'truth' (Ham, 1999) or for 'understanding' of the topic under study collided with the contracting bodies' interest in a legitimate political project. In commissioned research, when dealing with the results and the way they will be presented, we are not confronted with ethical issues such as in research in general.…”

Addressing the tensions and complexities involved in commissioning and undertaking implementation research in low- and middle-income countries

“…Ethical and political dilemmas of undertaking commissioned research have been acknowledged by others. 11 12 Mumtaz et al 12 have argued that projects commonly have unarticulated goals alongside explicit health outcomes which influence how and which research findings are shared, including: ‘maintaining positive relationships between donors and governments, keeping money flowing, and maintaining the appearance of success.’…”

“…We propose two key questions we feel can help researchers be aware of, anticipate and potentially minimise the complexities and pitfalls associated with commissioned implementation research, 11 especially in a setting where there may be a North-South power differential: (1) Who is commissioning the research and how can the independence and integrity of the research process be maintained? (2) What is the purpose of the research and how will the findings be used?…”

Collaboration in Commissioned Research: Benefits and Challenges of Scholar–Practitioner Partnerships in Conflict Contexts

“…Commissioned research is research paid or funded by a third party with contracting agents ranging from governmental bodies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and private companies. Commissioned research presents ethical issues to the researchers where funding agents will often instrumentalize the results to prove the legitimacy of programs (Ham 1999). Additionally, commissioned research also challenges researchers as they work to quickly produce reports based on an agreed timeline, undermining abductive reasoning and the quality of findings (Richter & Hostettler 2015).…”