Researchers must take a stance in times of crisis

Research never takes place in a vacuum, writes Yeşim Topuz. Especially in times of war, genocide and climate crisis, academics have a responsibility to speak out. ‘Remaining neutral means looking away.’

What role do the humanities play if not to improve society? Whether or not researchers and scientists should take an active role in shaping society, especially in the political realm, remains a hot topic of discussion. Meanwhile, the ‘Myth of Neutrality’ of researchers has been contested within qualitative research, but it holds strong in quantitative methods.

But overall, what role do researchers themselves play in trying to make sense of the world around them?

Neither researchers in the humanities nor in the social sciences can be detached observers, simply because an emancipatory interest drives them. Their personal background, lived experiences, and ethical commitments also undeniably influence their work. While qualitative research reflects this as ‘researcher positionality/reflexivity’, it is less so for quantitative researchers.

Yet even there, quantitative facts and statistics are the end products of human decisions and rest on underlying values. Or, even simpler, the decision of what to study, what research gets funded, is itself a social as well as political choice, clashing with the notion of a purely neutral starting point.

So, can or should researchers even be activists, or remain strictly neutral?

On the one hand, some argue that a researcher’s main responsibility is impartial investigation, or even go so far as to say that using institutional titles or lab coats to advance political causes can be anti-democratic.

On the other hand, more and more argue that quietist neutrality in the face of societal, ecological, or human rights crises is neither possible nor ethically defensible. When society faces an existential crisis like climate change, remaining silent fails the public.

I’d argue that researchers can’t or should not have to separate the pursuit of truth from the obligation to address its real-world consequences, to take a stance. Maybe it is time to rethink research as a form of ‘academic citizenship,’ showing that both rigorous science and activism share the purpose of challenging prevailing social realities.

Ultimately, we can’t pretend that research happens in a vacuum. Academics have a responsibility not only toward their institutions but to help change society for the better. Especially right now, when we’re facing overwhelming global crises, war, and genocide. Remaining neutral means looking away.

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