What are some of the ethical issues that you are grappling with in your research? What are some of the ways in which you are responding to these questions?
One of the main ethical issues I have been grappling with is how much information to reveal in our analysis and reporting. Participants often share very personal and candid perspectives during interviews. They are remarkably honest about their experiences with funders, colleagues, institutions, and research participants, sometimes offering critiques or discussing sensitive challenges they have encountered. Because of this, it is extremely important that we do not disclose any potentially identifying information that could put them at professional or personal risk.At the same time, preserving anonymity can make it difficult to retain the context and detail necessary for meaningful analysis. A major challenge has been finding the balance between protecting participants and preserving enough information for the data to remain useful, particularly when developing case studies or illustrating key themes. To address this, our team has been carefully considering what details are truly necessary and how we can present findings in ways that protect confidentiality while still accurately representing participants' experiences.
As you continue your research, have you considered alternative viewpoints in your investigation? If so, how have these alternative viewpoints enriched or changed your project?
Two of the main questions I am grappling with in my project right now are: What is equity? and What are partnerships? The challenge is that there is no single definition of either concept. Different participants understand and apply these terms in very different ways. For some, equity means ensuring that all partners have equal decision-making power. For others, it means recognizing existing differences in resources, expertise, or infrastructure and intentionally providing support to address those imbalances. Similarly, participants have pushed back on the term "partnership." Some have questioned whether partnerships can ever be completely equal when funding, expertise, or institutional prestige are distributed unevenly. Others have suggested that words like "relationship" or "collaboration" may better capture the reality of how people work together. These conversations have made me realize how much the language we use shapes the questions we ask and the conclusions we draw. I had never really stopped to think deeply about the semantics of these concepts, but now I find myself constantly considering how different definitions influence research.
Where does your research take place? Take a photo of the place where your ideas and investigations are taking place, and post it to the Network!
My project is fully remote since my PI is not currently in NYC, so I’ve been doing a lot of cafe hopping! If anyone has any suggestions please let me know!