Risky Research? How Relational Engagement in Research Can Mitigate Harm and Enhance Benefits

Brennan Davis and Julie L. Ozanne

Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, 2018, vol. 3, issue 1, 7 - 15

Abstract: Many consumer researchers study risky consumption behaviors with the goal of enhancing consumer well-being. But could the very process of research be potentially harmful if it is extractive and focused on mining insights for academic publications? Could more participatory research processes where beneficiaries collaborate lead to changes that could more directly enhance consumer well-being? We explore how a relational engagement approach to research can be used to carefully think through opportunities to not only mitigate risk in studies but enhance broader benefits for the participants. Specifically, we look at how collaboration between researchers and potential beneficiaries improves the creation of direct research outputs, research awareness, research use, and societal benefit. By collaborating with stakeholders who are directly involved with the risky consumption, we bring the research process as close as possible to the problem at hand. In doing so, we hope to improve research outcomes by creating knowledge both with and for beneficiaries.

Date: 2018
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/695669 (application/pdf)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/695669 (text/html)
Access to the online full text or PDF requires a subscription.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ucp:jacres:doi:10.1086/695669

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Journal of the Association for Consumer Research from University of Chicago Press
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Journals Division ().