Democratic research: Setting up a research commons for a qualitative, comparative, longitudinal interview study during the COVID-19 pandemic

Bettina M Zimmermann; Hendrik Wagenaar; Katharina Kieslich; Barbara Prainsack; Gert Meyers; Alena Buyx; Seliem El-Sayed; Amelia Fiske; Ilaria Galasso; Susi Geiger; Nora Hangel; Ruth Horn; Stephanie Johnson; Janneke M L Kuiper; Federica Lucivero; Stuart McLennan; Katharina T Paul; Mirjam Pot; Isabella Radhuber; Gabrielle Samuel; Tamar Sharon; Lotje Siffels; Ine Van Hoyweghen; Sula Awad; Théo Bourgeron; Johanna Eichinger; Marie Gaille; Christian Haddad; Sarah Hayes; Andrew Hoffman; Marie Jasser; Joke Kenens; Marjolein Lanzing; Sébastien Libert; Elisa Lievevrouw; Luca Marelli; Fernandos Ongolly; Amicia Phillips; Clémence Pinel; Katharina Riesinger; Stephen Roberts; Gertrude Saxinger; Lukas Schlogl; Franziska Schönweitz; Anna Sierawska; Wanda Spahl; Emma Stendahl; Siemen Vanstreels; Simeon Vidolov; Elias Weiss

doi:10.1016/j.ssmqr.2022.100158

Democratic research: Setting up a research commons for a qualitative, comparative, longitudinal interview study during the COVID-19 pandemic

SSM Qual Res Health. 2022 Dec:2:100158. doi: 10.1016/j.ssmqr.2022.100158. Epub 2022 Sep 7.

Authors

Bettina M Zimmermann^{1

2}, Hendrik Wagenaar³, Katharina Kieslich⁴, Barbara Prainsack⁴, Gert Meyers^{5

6}, Alena Buyx¹, Seliem El-Sayed⁴, Amelia Fiske¹, Ilaria Galasso⁷, Susi Geiger⁸, Nora Hangel¹, Ruth Horn⁹, Stephanie Johnson⁹, Janneke M L Kuiper⁶, Federica Lucivero⁹, Stuart McLennan¹, Katharina T Paul⁴, Mirjam Pot⁴, Isabella Radhuber¹⁰, Gabrielle Samuel¹¹, Tamar Sharon¹², Lotje Siffels¹², Ine Van Hoyweghen⁶, Sula Awad⁷, Théo Bourgeron¹³, Johanna Eichinger^{1

2}, Marie Gaille¹⁴, Christian Haddad¹⁵, Sarah Hayes¹⁶, Andrew Hoffman¹², Marie Jasser⁴, Joke Kenens⁶, Marjolein Lanzing¹², Sébastien Libert¹⁷, Elisa Lievevrouw⁶, Luca Marelli^{6

18}, Fernandos Ongolly⁷, Amicia Phillips¹⁹, Clémence Pinel²⁰, Katharina Riesinger⁴, Stephen Roberts²¹, Gertrude Saxinger^{4

22}, Lukas Schlogl⁴, Franziska Schönweitz¹, Anna Sierawska¹, Wanda Spahl⁴, Emma Stendahl²³, Siemen Vanstreels⁶, Simeon Vidolov⁷, Elias Weiss⁴

Affiliations

¹ Institute of History and Ethics in Medicine, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Straße 22, 81675, Munich, Germany.
² Institute for Biomedical Ethics, University of Basel, Bernoullistrasse 28, 4056, Basel, Switzerland.
³ Institute for Advanced Studies, Josefstädter Straße 39, 1080, Vienna, Austria.
⁴ Department of Political Science, University of Vienna, Universitätsstraße 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria.
⁵ Tilburg Institute for Law Technology and Society, Tilburg University, Tilburg, the Netherlands.
⁶ Centre for Sociological Research, KU Leuven, Parkstraat 45, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
⁷ ERC MISFIRES, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
⁸ University College Dublin Business School, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
⁹ Ethox Centre and Wellcome Centre for Ethics and Humanities, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, OX3 7LF, Oxford, UK.
¹⁰ Research Network Latin America - Department of Political Science, University of Vienna, Universitätsstraße 7, 1010, Wien, Austria.
¹¹ Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, King's College London, Bush House North East Wing, 30 Aldwych, WC2B 4BG, London, UK.
¹² iHub Department of Philosophical Ethics and Political Philosophy, Radboud University, Erasmusplein 1, 6525, HT Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
¹³ School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Chrystal MacMillan Building, 15a George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9LD, UK.
¹⁴ Laboratoire Sphere, Paris Diderot University, 5 Rue Thomas Mann, 75013, Paris, France.
¹⁵ Austrian Institute for International Affairs, Währinger Straße 3/12, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
¹⁶ Vienna School of International Studies, Diplomatische Akademie Wien, Favoritenstraße 15A, 1040, Vienna, Austria.
¹⁷ Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Rd, Bloomsbury, London, UK.
¹⁸ Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan.
¹⁹ Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Law, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 35, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
²⁰ Department of Public Health Øster Farimagsgade 5, P.O. Box 2099, DK-1014, Copenhagen, Denmark.
²¹ Institute for Global Health, University College London, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, UK.
²² Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology, University of Vienna, Universitätsstraße 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria.
²³ Jönköping International Business School, Jönköping University, Gjuterigatan 5, 553 18 Jönköping, Sweden.

Abstract

The sudden and dramatic advent of the COVID-19 pandemic led to urgent demands for timely, relevant, yet rigorous research. This paper discusses the origin, design, and execution of the SolPan research commons, a large-scale, international, comparative, qualitative research project that sought to respond to the need for knowledge among researchers and policymakers in times of crisis. The form of organization as a research commons is characterized by an underlying solidaristic attitude of its members and its intrinsic organizational features in which research data and knowledge in the study is shared and jointly owned. As such, the project is peer-governed, rooted in (idealist) social values of academia, and aims at providing tools and benefits for its members. In this paper, we discuss challenges and solutions for qualitative studies that seek to operate as research commons.

Keywords: COVID-19; Comparative research; Qualitative research; Research and data commons; Solidarity.

Abstract

Grants and funding