Our Approach

Research is About Power.

And who has the power to say what about whom.

In this vein, research can cause harm if done irresponsibly, by both exacerbating pre-existing as well as creating racial and economic disparities. We understand as well the potential for responsible research to be emancipatory, as it disrupts the status quo to unearth pervasive inequities. We therefore resist simplistic binaries of objective/subjective, constantly interrogate neutrality, and lean into the joy, creativity, and community-building required of research that is relevant, responsible, and legible to a broad audience — indeed, research that may be leveraged to help people change systems.

Yes, bias exists, but equitable research methods and inclusive practices such as Participatory Action Research may be used in order to mitigate such bias. We value mixed-methods research as a way to triangulate data, and engage research participants whenever possible; from research design and data collection to analysis and co-authorship. We believe participants and collaborators must be compensated for their time and effort, and the confidentiality, privacy, and safety of individuals participating in studies must be of the utmost importance. We view the federal guidelines established by the Office for Human Research Protections as the floor, not the ceiling, and push ourselves both to remedy persistent inequities in research as well as to envision more equitable, liberatory research practices.