Whether it’s data sets, machine learning models, or algorithmic decision-making, research professionals have a unique role in understanding, interpreting, and bringing meaning to these data sets. They’re on the frontlines of data, forecasting the future of their respective fields – fashion, finance, agriculture, and tech.
Though these data finders often act as neutrals, the truth is that research is anything but agnostic – each insight, statistic, and metric ties into underlying systems of oppression and potential to perpetuate harm. This is why research professionals must be activists on a mission to understand these nuances and bridge the gap between human-centric data and executive decisions.
Activism in research does not mean making endorsements for a particular candidate, it means bearing witness to the world in which data interacts with different people, uncovering how bias can influence studies and shifting the narrative in a way that is both understandable and compelling.
For example, a Wellcome study has found that three out of four researchers feel that creativity is stifled in their role. This is an opportunity to welcome more proactive education, encouragment of personal expression, and storytelling to increase the level of understanding and engagement. Researchers are in a unique spot to reduce the cognitive load of decision-makers and push the narrative forward.
At the same time, researchers need to keep in mind the importance of understanding systems of oppression that exist in society and recognizing how these factors may be influencing the data. Research initiatives must be aware of these perspectives and be mindful of creating an atmosphere where everyone is included and no one is discriminated against.
The potential implications are particularly clear in the tech industry, where ethics and purpose are not always automatically baked into the engineering of a product or company strategy. A researcher’s loyalty should first be to the human race, rather than the employer, and to protect from potential negative impacts, a creative and values-based researcher mindset is next to essential.
Thankfully, a shift is already underway. Companies and research firms are becoming increasingly data-driven, boosting overall organizational success and profitability along the way. As researchers, they’re now being welcomed as a critical source of insights, allowing them to make a positive, inclusive impact on consumers and push decision-makers towards ideal resolutions.
We can look to the example of a graduate student and previous consulting job to understand how an activist mindset can guide study design and discovery of solutions to present and future problems. And when it comes down to it, it all ties back to telling the right story – giving researchers the chance to make a lasting impact not just on their clients, but on the entire world.
