Learning Objectives
By the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Describe the responsibility researchers have to share knowledge gained from scientific research.
- Explain tensions that may occur when the norms of scientific practice specific to the publication of study results conflict with societal expectations.
- Using the behavioral ecological systems model, describe the roles of various stakeholders in disseminating scientific knowledge.
Key Points
- Sharing of research results is a demonstration of the ethical principle of respect and is a social responsibility of all researchers.
- Research results can be shared with the scientific community and the public in many formats ranging from peer-reviewed articles to newsletters and blogs.
- Depending on the type of research, study results can be shared at the individual level and/or group level.
- The ethical principles of respect, beneficence, and justice are all reflected when research results are accessible to participants and the public.
In Module 3, we present the process of reporting the results of scientific research. Sharing of research results can take a number of forms and yet, often academic researchers only consider one – that being the peer-reviewed publication. In Module 3, we discuss authorship and publication along with tensions introduced by academic incentive structures.
The purpose of conducting research is to generate new knowledge. When evaluating the possible harms concerning study benefits, the risk of harm to an individual is considered in relation to societal benefits that come from the resulting research products or innovations. The research will move forward if the benefits of potential knowledge gained are appropriate given the related risks and mitigation of these possible harms. Once a study is completed, it is important to share the results with the participants and the larger community.
For researchers, the larger community is typically the scientific community and is accomplished via publishing research in scientific journals. In this module, we argue a responsibility to go beyond the peer-reviewed literature and take steps to make results accessible to those affected by the study findings. By sharing research results, we are demonstrating the ethical principle of respect. By making the results accessible across the broader public greater societal benefit can be realized.
Sharing Research Results
In academic research, the concept of sharing research results with participants and the greater public is not a typical practice. It may seem counter intuitive that those involved in research as study participants may never know the outcome of a study in which they contributed data but, that reality is more common than not. A few years ago, the National Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine published a report on sharing of individual level research results since the practice was uncommon.21 We can use the behavioral ecological systems model to understand the barriers or tensions to sharing study findings with participants and, the public.