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Home > Events > Researching with Integrity May 2009

Researching with Integrity
Friday 29th May 2009
Mithras House, Moulsecoomb Campus
9.00-14.00 (including buffet lunch)

 
 

This conference is open to all staff and postgraduate research students (MRes, MPhil, PhD and Professional Doctorate students) at the University of Brighton and its partner organisations.
The University of Brighton has a thriving research culture, as the recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) confirmed, and this is of great benefit to students, staff and the wider community. However, engaging in research frequently involves complex ethical considerations, issues and dilemmas.  These include:

  • increasingly detailed scrutiny of research proposals involving people and animals
  • ‘taboo’ research topics and methods
  • the increasing power and influence of funding bodies
  • pressures arising from the expectations of research sponsors
  • the role of government,  quangos and professional organisations in research
  • a diminution of collegiality and growing competitiveness between academics, influenced by government audit of research ‘quality’ (Macfarlane, 2009)
Ethical ‘rules’ and protocols can help us to navigate some of these concerns, but they can also be part of the problem and, in any case, are rarely sufficient. For ‘ethically sound research’ involves values and judgements of an academic, professional and personal nature. This conference provides an opportunity for staff and research students at the University to discuss some of the concerns they encounter in their research and to consider how we can engage in research with integrity, especially:
  • in healthcare
  • when researching as ‘an insider’
  • when children and young people are participants
  • when vulnerable people are participants
  • when sponsors have a particular interest in the findings
The conference includes:
  • a keynote address by Bruce Macfarlane,  Professor of Higher Education and author of ‘Researching with Integrity: the Ethics of Academic Enquiry’ (2009)
  • dedicated parallel discussion groups chaired by colleagues with particular experience and expertise in the five aspects of research referred to above
  • a plenary session in which an invited panel (including Bruce Macfarlane) will discuss questions and concerns arising from parallel sessions
Please follow this link to see the Conference programme . If you would like to attend the conference, please follow this link to the Registration form . Please also note that the number of places is restricted; you are therefore advised to make your reservation as soon as possible. back to top