Jensen, E. A. (2020). How should socially responsible science be measured? (eLetter). Science, 369 (6499). DOI: 10.1126/science.abb3415
Novitsky et al.’s (2020) conclusion that EU-funded research insufficiently integrates socially responsible practices and policies is indisputable and important. However, the measurement approach used in this paper implies that socially responsible science is merely a matter of mouthing the right words in the proper way and especially using the preferred jargon. In fact, there is a diversity of practical ways to integrate social responsibility in everyday research norms and activities, the least important of which is ‘properly’ employing jargon. In fact, social science jargon can be a barrier to communication about socially responsible science (https://sciencecomm.science)
The authors’ proposed solution of ‘consistent and sustained embedding in [funding] call texts and project selection criteria’ is in and of itself also ‘necessary but not sufficient’ (p. 41). Relying exclusively on the language used in research grant proposals to embed socially responsible science is superficial at best. Developing healthy research and innovation ecosystems is a far more difficult and systemic challenge. We need major changes in research norms, development of practical knowledge/skills required to make research socially responsible and systematic incentivizing of responsible practices and organizational cultures.
