Research practice · 6 pages
Research practice & ethics
Resources on responsible research practice and dissemination, covering research communication, positionality, reflexivity, and institutional collaboration agreements.
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All 6 research practice & ethics pages
What is Positionality in Research?
In qualitative and social science research, positionality is a critical concept that rejects the notion of the researcher as an objective, value-free observer. A researcher's background shapes their worldview, their choice of research questions, the way they interact with participants, and their interpretation of data. To ensure transparency, scholars often include a positionality statement in their publications. This statement explicitly details their social location and reflects on how these factors may have influenced the research design, analysis, and conclusions.
DefinitionWhat is Reflexivity in Research?
Reflexivity goes beyond simply acknowledging one's positionality; it is the active, ongoing practice of interrogating how that positionality influences the research in real-time. Researchers use tools like reflexive journals to record their emotional responses, emerging assumptions, and decision-making processes during fieldwork. By making these implicit influences explicit, reflexivity enhances the transparency, credibility, and ethical integrity of qualitative research, allowing readers to understand the path from data collection to final analysis.
DefinitionWhat is Science Communication?
Often abbreviated as SciComm, science communication encompasses a wide range of activities, including science journalism, public engagement events, museum exhibitions, social media outreach, and policy briefs. Effective science communication is not just about translating jargon; it is about building trust, fostering public dialogue, and enabling evidence-based decision-making. Historically dominated by a top-down 'deficit model', modern SciComm advocates for two-way engagement and dialogue between scientists and the public.
DefinitionWhat is Research Dissemination?
While traditional academic publishing focuses on sharing results with peer researchers, research dissemination encompasses a broader, more strategic set of activities. A robust dissemination plan is often a mandatory component of research grant applications. It identifies key stakeholders, defines tailored messages, and selects appropriate channels—such as policy briefs, workshops, open-access publications, and media engagement—to ensure the research achieves maximum societal, economic, and academic impact.
DefinitionMemorandum of Understanding (MoU)
An MoU serves as a crucial starting point for institutional and research collaborations. It describes the scope of the partnership, the mutual goals, and the roles of each partner organisation (such as universities or research institutes). While it demonstrates a high level of mutual commitment and helps align expectations, an MoU is generally non-binding in a court of law, unless specific clauses (such as confidentiality or intellectual property protections) are explicitly declared as legally binding.
DefinitionWhat is a Collaboration Agreement?
Unlike a preliminary Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), a collaboration agreement is a detailed, enforceable contract that must be finalised before research activities begin. It outlines exactly who will perform what work, how funding will be distributed, who owns the intellectual property generated during the project (foreground IP), and how background IP brought to the project will be protected. These agreements are essential for protecting the interests of researchers and institutions, particularly in multi-partner or industry-funded projects.
