Chapter 5: Sharing: What Are the Essential Requirements for Equitable Use of Knowledge Gained From Inquiry?

This chapter focuses on what is necessary to avoid exploitation and exacerbation of unearned and inequitable power and prestige differentials based on ethical practice.

Increasingly, attention has been given to equitable research practices. More awareness and consideration of cultural differences and understanding of varied and often distinct community voices, particularly voices in communities of color, which are less likely to be heard and represented are needed. Research steeped in traditional practices has often excluded, exploited, or misrepresented voices of vulnerable populations as data collectors and analyzers failed to provide opportunities for input on how data from their communities were collected, analyzed, communicated or used. Authentic qualitative research requires increased understanding of the intricacies of race, culture, social structures and equity in disparate research analyses, processes, and application of results. Issues related to equitable sharing of research have included (a) evaluation and scrutiny of existing research practices, (b) grounding government and philanthropic funding in practice of equity, (c) efforts to increase trust in research processes and practices among communities of color, and (d) more equitable inclusion of stakeholders in research practices.