Today’s #ResearchTip is if you spot a study that’s funded by a charity you should always check the research thoroughly *and* investigate the charity - even if it’s well known or doing work in a good cause. Why? Find out in the next few tweets #AcademicTwitter #PhDChat #Gradschool

Charity funded research can be a perfect match, but it may hide issues that you as a researcher need to be aware of. You should check
- history of the charity
- what it does
- where it operates
- who it helps
- what it funds
- problems/controversies
- who does it include/exclude

also note if the charity has a problematic legacy it has taken steps to address (particularly important for older organisations).
For new charities, investigate their origins. And for all charities not their stated purpose and if that’s achieved (this should be transparent)

Be alert to charities using “research” (predominantly surveys) not as a careful and robust research activity, but as a cheap form of advertising. Ask to see study reports, how data collected etc. If it’s flimsy find another study to cite or explain in context if crucial

Don’t assume because it’s a charity research is automatically good or ethical. It may be neither. It is on you to check charity funded research as carefully as you would any other. Are there conflicts of interest or ethical problems? What do others have to say about the charity?

Is it an example of astroturfing (a charity masking a commercial venture, pharma, or other industry that may have additional CoI or other issues attached?) What is the reputation of the charity? Do they work with others in the sector or do they work to undermine or harm?

Are you citing research from a charity in good faith without checking they’re a Bigfoot?As in they have taken over the area and forced established or smaller organisations who were doing great work to close? Can you cite an organisation that does this without a caveat? Or at all?

These questions apply equally to charities funding your research as much as they do to citing charitable funded work. What are the ethics of being funded by a charity that systematically undermines, bullies, shuts down or sidelines other individuals or organisations?

You may have to balance the dilemma of a charity producing key data you need to stack up a crucial report, paper or funding bid. But also knowing either their research is suspect or their motives dubious. Possibly both. Operate with caution and a critical focus

You don’t want to perpetuate harms, even harms by organisations that may also do some good. You don’t want to work in good faith and find your work tainted by association. This is why you must check all sources carefully

Noting also that charities working in your field (especially ones with influence) may pose a problem if you vocally criticise them. It may limit your research, funding and networking opportunities. Although sometimes working with a charity is enough for others to sideline you

This is a major ethical problem for research but one we don’t discuss enough. We need to get better at asking questions of our cited sources and funders and doing due diligence around the behind the scenes activities that blight funding and findings. Even if it’s in a good cause

If you want to know how the big charities operate (as they’re the main funders, usually), ask their volunteers and smaller charities in the area what they’re like. You’ll get a different perspective, past the PR gloss. Bullying, for example is as rife in charities as in academia

This isn’t to say you shouldn’t cite charity funded research or avoid working with charities. Both can be brilliant. But you should ask questions of charities as much as any other funder, especially currently when charities are competing for cash and predatory behaviour is rife

We ought to encourage transparency around how charities behave within the research context that is currently not there. Researchers are scared to speak out for fear of losing connections and cash. Ethics committees and editors should ask smarter questions.

There are as many questions to be asked about charities using their position to shut down other organisations as there are researchers taking money for research from organisations that will, in part, raise awareness and help and simultaneously ensure a rival charity is taken out

In a viva I was part of recently the candidate cited a particular charity and their funded work a lot. One examiner asked reasonable questions akin to ones I’ve set out above and the candidate didn’t know as they assumed the charity was operating from a good place. Always check!

Journals can also be complicit in this problem, so it would be helpful for those publishing charity funded research to have a much stronger checking system about ethical practices of charities and be wary of publishing those who may be working for a good cause while causing harm

Helpful questions and comments in response to this thread have made me realise this is probably more complex than I planned, so I'll do a separate #ResearchTip thread over the weekend with a worked example of how the problems outlined above work in practice