The Commodification of Academic Research: Science and the Modern University

1. The Commodification of Academic Research

1 Chapter 1 The Commodification of Academic Research Hans Radder Since the 1980s, most universities in the Western world have experienced substantial changes as a consequence of an ongoing process of commodification. Commodification affects a variety of aspects of higher education, such as research, teaching, administration, and even such nonacademic activities as the intercollegiate sports programs of U.S. universities. This book focuses on one of these aspects , namely the commodification of academic research.1 The aim of the book is to describe, analyze, and evaluate the various facets of commodified academic research from a philosophical perspective; in addition, where appropriate, alternatives to commodified research will be proposed and discussed. More specifically, we will approach the subject from the perspective of philosophy of science, social and political philosophy, and research ethics. A comprehensive discussion of the phenomenon of commodified science requires a view of the nature and justification of science as a whole, as well as an account of the nature and justification of specific research methods within particular sciences. Hence there is a central role for the philosophy of science. Simultaneously at issue is the question of the actual and desirable sociopolitical institutionalization and organization of science in modern societies. For this reason, the perspective of Hans Radder 2 social and political philosophy is needed. Finally, commodification engenders farreaching moral issues concerning appropriate conduct in academic research, which is the domain of research ethics. Given the multifaceted nature of the problem of the commodification of academic research, bringing together these different disciplines and approaches is important, and even necessary, for developing in-depth analyses, assessments, and alternatives. Some good work on the commodification of science has been published recently , primarily by concerned journalists and by natural and social scientists. Moreover, several funding agencies and science policy organizations have issued relevant studies and policy papers on the subject. The contributions to this book use this and related work for the purpose of obtaining relevant empirical knowledge , detailed philosophical analyses and pertinent normative assessments of the commodification of academic research, as well as formulating sensible and practicable alternatives to commodified science. Thus far, philosophers have hardly begun to explore this subject. Yet sustained and in-depth philosophical study of the commodification of academic research is badly needed. Because of a strong naturalistic tendency in recent accounts of science (both in cognitive and in social studies of science), the normative question of what should count as “good science” has shifted to the background. However, if we want to come to grips with the issue of the commodification of academic inquiry, this question should be center stage. By publishing this book we hope to provide the necessary stimulus for further philosophical research in this area. The book aims to advance the subject by providing substantial research contributions . The chapters focus on various basic questions regarding the commodi fication of academic research. The contributions to the book are not, or not primarily, of a “case study” type; instead, they aim (more directly) to present and examine theoretical and philosophical analyses, discuss sociopolitical and moral assessments, and provide viable alternatives. Of course, such approaches need to be informed by the existing literature on the practices of commodified academic science. In addition, several of the chapters, including this one, show that the insiders ’ experiences of their authors as employees of academic institutions also inform their analyses and assessments in important ways. This opening chapter introduces the subject of the commodification of academic research. It has two objectives. The first is to provide a conceptual map of the area. For this purpose, it presents and explains the pertinent concepts, cites the relevant empirical literature, discusses the major epistemic, ethical, and social problems, and reviews several proposed solutions. The second objective of this chapter is to place the other chapters of this volume on this map of the area. To this end, the approach taken in these chapters and their contribution to the re- The Commodification of Academic Research 3 search arena is sketched. This should not be taken to imply, however, that all contributors will endorse every single claim made in this chapter. The guiding framework for this chapter is provided by seven central research questions. These questions constitute a comprehensive directory to the issue of the commodification of academic research. 1. What...