Don't shoot the messenger: A study in the politics and control of funded research

Abstract

Abstract This paper is concerned with the conduct of sponsored research in the field of education. The principal focus is on the relationship between sponsorship and research findings and the role of the researcher as mediator between the two. The paper begins with the premise that much research within the broad field of education is based upon projects which are funded to address issues of particular concern to a sponsor but not necessarily of intrinsic interest to the researcher. The task for the academic researcher, therefore, is to conduct the sponsored research thoroughly and professionally whilst at the same time looking for issues and areas within it which permit the researcher to engage with both fundamental and basic research. The debate raises important questions therefore, about the pressure to conduct research within universities and the availability of funding for such research, about researchers’ control over their work, the dissemination of research results and the contribution of sponsored...