Strength in Numbers
Strategies for Collective Organization
Go/No-Go?
Ten Considerations
Research Contracts
Warning Signs
Your Research Image
Strength in NumbersPurpose
Individual researchers have limited power when navigating complex partnerships. If we are able to collectively strategize as a community, we can begin to re-balance the playing field. As an introduction, we have compiled several best practices for rallying a community of researchers.
Rallying the Team
Investigate and develop rapid response mechanisms.
Consider novel strategies for gaining support from fellow researchers.
A strong team is one of the best defenses against corporate pressure.
Set Clear Boundaries for Participation
Agreeing on community terms of participation can guide how a collective will organize and act together.
Develop your own clear sense of what is appropriate and inappropriate in terms of research partnerships and public event participation.
Develop a Strong Understanding of Who to Trust
Consider your own trusted research partners: what are their intuitions about trusting corporations?
Where can you get advice?
Consider Pre-Existing Community Norms
Are there corporations that your research community does not engage with?
What terms and guidelines do other researchers follow?
How does your position and experience change your ability to accept and reject certain terms?
Find Communities and Partnerships to Rely On
Reaching out to partners is essential.
Developing best practices collaboratively with other researchers within the community is central to collectively organizing.
Each researcher has an important role to play in not only helping one another but relying on their community when they are in need.
Vulnerability
Remember, academics often believe they need to know it all. This makes us vulnerable.
Don't forget, other researchers will have experience in areas you may not know about. It can be useful to pulse those networks to learn more about a field or space you may not be familiar with.
Our Advice for Researchers
Advice from our team of researchers on navigating corporate partnerships with integrity and confidence.