Responsible research in a polarising world

Ainslie, Andrew and Talleh Nkobou, Atenchong (2026) Responsible research in a polarising world. Development in Practice, 36 (1). pp. 1-5.

Text Responsible research in a polarising world.pdf - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives. Download (501kB)

Abstract

The Black Lives Matter movement, the murder of George Floyd by the police officer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis, USA, the COVID pandemic, the re-election of Trump and the over-arching geopolitical and planetary crises, all represent a significant rupture moment that refocuses critical attention on the uneven relationships and power dynamics that lie at the heart of all "development" encounters (Newman et al. 2025; Noxolo, 2017). These dynamics encompass the imperfect nature of research collaboration, participation and partnerships, as well as the thorny epistemic contests over ideas, research ethics and the controversies over voice and representation. More and more research funders and universities are setting out directives for what constitutes "responsible" research and integrity (see the "Hong Kong principles" – Moher et al., 2020; Universities UK 2019 "Concordat to Support Research Integrity" initiative – UKCORI, 2019; the Trust Code of Conduct for Equitable Research Partnerships 2018 – TRUST, 2018). The focus on institutional responsibility is further compounded by the compression of time available for research and reflection, accelerated by the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), and heightened by concerns about the locus of intelligence and our capacity as humans to make sound moral judgements in a polarising world. This Special Issue comprises a selection of papers first presented as contributions to two panels co-convened by Ainslie and Talleh Nkobou at consecutive Development Studies Association (DSA) UK conferences in June 2023 and June 2024.1 During our panel discussions, participants engaged in reflective dialogues around theoretical/methodological considerations, case studies, and personal/auto-ethnographic reflections on this thematic area of scholarship. Whilst concepts like "co-production" and "integrity" have gained rhetorical prominence, we think more critical attention is required to examine the inherently extractive and power-laden nature of research and development encounters. So, the Special Issue asks, as researchers, who exactly are we "responsible" to? When does the research project and "our" responsibility begin and end? What constitutes more deliberative ways of thinking about and sharing experiences underpinning the technologies and practices of being "responsible"?

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	Responsible Research
Divisions:	Agriculture, Science and Practice
Depositing User:	Dr Atenchong Talleh Nkobou
Date Deposited:	05 Mar 2026 16:08
Last Modified:	05 Mar 2026 16:08
URI:	https://rau.repository.guildhe.ac.uk/id/eprint/17087

Actions (login required)

Edit Item