Pursuing impact in research: towards an ethical approach

Area of Science:

• Bioethics
• Social Sciences
• Research Ethics

Background:

• Research aims to create societal change, but ethical guidelines often overlook the implications of researchers actively pursuing impact.
• The pursuit of societal impact by researchers can inadvertently risk or transform cultural, social, and political values and institutions.
• Addressing the ethical challenges of research impact is increasingly urgent across all fields seeking to solve societal problems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the ethical considerations in transitioning research from academic settings to real-world societal impact.
• To propose a structured approach for defining ethical boundaries in researchers' pursuit of societal change.
• To offer guidance for researchers and funding bodies in selecting ethically sound, impact-oriented projects.

Main Methods:

• Exploration of normative boundaries for researchers' impact.
• Development of a four-step framework for fair conditions in pursuing research impact.
• Advocacy for a multi-disciplinary strategy involving researchers, social scientists, ethicists, and societal stakeholders.

Main Results:

• Identified ethical challenges in the transition from academic research to societal impact.
• Proposed a stepwise strategy for establishing consensus-based ethical boundaries.
• Outlined a collaborative approach involving diverse stakeholders to guide ethically acceptable impact-pursuing projects.

Conclusions:

• The transition from academic research to societal impact necessitates careful ethical configuration.
• A multi-disciplinary, consensus-based approach is crucial for navigating the ethical landscape of research impact.
• The proposed framework can assist researchers and funding agencies in ethically pursuing societal change through academic work.