I believe that when a researcher or research organisation decides to study a group of people, a community, or the general population, certain obligations arise automatically. Ethically and functionally, research should not be a one-way process.
In our work, at the intersection of an expert organisation and an NGO focused on immigrant integration, we’ve come to see audience engagement not as an optional extra but as part of the research itself. It starts before the research, through meetings and discussions at the design stage. It continues throughout the process and definitely does not end with publication. Afterward, it must include open presentations, discussions, accessible and interactive reports, and follow-up articles on our own media platform, which we built partly for this purpose.
To me, this is not just about “public engagement” in the sense of dissemination. It is also about avoiding a very real trap: getting locked inside our own assumptions, drifting away from lived reality, and ultimately treating people as a source of data rather than as participants in a knowledge process that also concerns them.
So I’d say public engagement is not just a useful add-on or a professional duty. In many cases, especially in socially grounded research, it is a systemic task. It requires strategic focus, consistency, and often, infrastructure built step by step.
I very much agree. Public engagement is perhaps not for everyone, but I've found it super helpful. Apart from the time involved, another downside is the potential for audience capture. If you build up a community through your writing it's hard to then make arguments that might be very undermining or even upsetting for them. The best thing about public engagement, especially if it goes beyond people who shared your political commitments, is that it really forces you to cut the bullshit.
This was an excellent read. Really thoughtful and actually kind!
The weird thing is that while I back the contents of this piece, I hesitate to share it on LinkedIn where I have some minimal academic connections still…I’m caught by the ideological anxiety trap!
Maybe you can become like a Steve Pinker in the future.
I think many academics insulate themselves because they know what they say doesn't make sense and is illogical. As in how an influx of labor cannot possibly affect employment rates and wages for native workers in the same field.
Great piece.
Great article, Alexander!
I believe that when a researcher or research organisation decides to study a group of people, a community, or the general population, certain obligations arise automatically. Ethically and functionally, research should not be a one-way process.
In our work, at the intersection of an expert organisation and an NGO focused on immigrant integration, we’ve come to see audience engagement not as an optional extra but as part of the research itself. It starts before the research, through meetings and discussions at the design stage. It continues throughout the process and definitely does not end with publication. Afterward, it must include open presentations, discussions, accessible and interactive reports, and follow-up articles on our own media platform, which we built partly for this purpose.
To me, this is not just about “public engagement” in the sense of dissemination. It is also about avoiding a very real trap: getting locked inside our own assumptions, drifting away from lived reality, and ultimately treating people as a source of data rather than as participants in a knowledge process that also concerns them.
So I’d say public engagement is not just a useful add-on or a professional duty. In many cases, especially in socially grounded research, it is a systemic task. It requires strategic focus, consistency, and often, infrastructure built step by step.
Agreed. At this point we probably need actual classes on how to do public engagement well.
I very much agree. Public engagement is perhaps not for everyone, but I've found it super helpful. Apart from the time involved, another downside is the potential for audience capture. If you build up a community through your writing it's hard to then make arguments that might be very undermining or even upsetting for them. The best thing about public engagement, especially if it goes beyond people who shared your political commitments, is that it really forces you to cut the bullshit.
This was an excellent read. Really thoughtful and actually kind!
The weird thing is that while I back the contents of this piece, I hesitate to share it on LinkedIn where I have some minimal academic connections still…I’m caught by the ideological anxiety trap!
Maybe you can become like a Steve Pinker in the future.
I think many academics insulate themselves because they know what they say doesn't make sense and is illogical. As in how an influx of labor cannot possibly affect employment rates and wages for native workers in the same field.
so so good--more in a while, but sharing widely.