Creating culturally relevant Social Science research ethics in Central Asia: Mediating local and global influences

Collaborative Research Program 2021-2023

This sequential, mixed methods study aims to collaboratively develop culturally relevant Social Science research ethics for Central Asia to increase capacity for nationally, regionally and globally impactful knowledge production. Focusing on the Social Sciences in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, the research aims to:
• explore understandings of current Social Science research ethics practices in CA;
• investigate the fit of international research ethics practices with the cultural context of CA;
• collaboratively create understandings of culturally and contextually relevant research ethics principles and practices to facilitate production of local and global Social Science research in CA;
• develop national and institutional research ethics policy infrastructure to support increased knowledge production in the region;
• co-create, implement and evaluate capacity building strategies and systems to increase the generation of impactful and relevant ethical Social Science research in CA; and,
• build Central Asian research networks for sustainable collaborative inquiry.
This research is an opportunity to explore and (re-) evaluate the axiology of knowledge production, specifically in relation to social science research ethics in CA.