The Sié Center's Responsible Engagement Initiative and this Ethics of Engagement forum join a variety of other initiatives on policy engagement. We engage with this converstion in both academic journals and blogs such as The Monkey Cage, Political Violence @ a Glance, and Duck of Minerva.
Below you will find all publications related to our work on responsible engagement.
The Ethics of Engaged Scholarship in a Complex World(opens in new tab)
Deborah Avant, Naazneen Barma, George DeMartino and Ilene Grabel
The Cult of the Relevant: International Relations Scholars and Policy Engagement Beyond the Ivory Tower(opens in new tab)
Cullen S. Hendrix, Julia Macdonald, Ryan Powers, Susan Peterson, and Michael J. Tierney
How Not to Bridge the Gap In International Relations(opens in new tab)
Naazneen H. Barma & James Goldgeier, September 6, 2022
Poll: Will Russia Invade Ukraine?(opens in new tab)
IR scholars think Moscow is likely to sue military force, but they suggest Washington should exercise restraint; Irene Entringer Garcia Blanes, Ryan Powers, Susan Peterson, Michael J. Tierney, January 31, 2022
The Three "Rs": Rigor, Relevance, and Responsibility in Policy-Engaged Research(opens in new tab)
In recent years, there has been a growing concern that academia-and social science especially-is increasingly irrelevant to the policy community. Political scientists like Michael Desch, as well as NYT columnist Nicholas Kristof, have bemoaned the privileging of rigor over relevance in social science research and disciplinary incentives that reward sophisticated, inaccessible methods over work that engages real world problems.
Beyond the Electoral College: MMP in the USA?(opens in new tab)
Is a mixed-member pluraity (MMP) system the "best" system for a post-Electoral College U.S.?
Confronting Biases in Policy-Engaged Research: The Case of NATO and Russia(opens in new tab)
Should academics openly acknowledge their biases, such as political commitments?
When Data Closes Doors: Lessons for Sharing Unpopular Findings(opens in new tab)
When sharing unpopular findings, what obligations (if any) do scholars have when policymakers do not care to hear the message?
The Importance of Being (Pragmatically) Earnest(opens in new tab)
When engaging with policy audiences and organizations, how can one be truthful when telling the whole truth may be counterproductive?
Ignoble Lies? The Problem of Prosocial Lying in the Economics Profession(opens in new tab)
Important reflections on prosocial lying by economists - can it ever be admissible?
Beyond IR's Ivory Tower(opens in new tab)
The world needs experts to engage with policy more than ever. Research shows international relations scholars are already up to the task.
Responsible Policy Engagement: Some Challenges(opens in new tab)
When the team at the Sié Center introduced our program on Rigor, Relevance, and Responsibility: Promoting Ethical Approaches to Policy Engagement, we set out to help scholars navigate the sometimes murky waters of policy engagement (or "broader impacts") in which funding agencies and universities are increasingly asking them to swim. When we take an active role in affecting policy outcomes, we onboard some responsibility for those outcomes.
Gap Half Full? A Dialogue on Bridging the Academic-Policy Divide(opens in new tab)
Suggestions on bridging the academic-policy divide featuring an academic's perspectives and policy input from Col. Christopher Mayer (U.S. Army, retired) at the Department of Defense.