Issues in research

Abstract

Participating in research is normally optional, though there are some forms of information-gathering in which we are obliged to participate, including the census and the electoral register. Even if you have not participated in any form of research so far, it is quite likely that you have read about project findings in the newspapers, or seen them presented on the television news and documentary programmes. Because of the number of projects that are carried out each year, the media are highly selective about which ones they report. They tend to be either topical, ‘sensational’ or relevant to the particular readership of that paper. The Guardian, for example, is more likely to report on educational research than some of the other national newspapers because it is seen as the newspaper of teachers and lecturers. One of the most topical issues at the moment is the effects of genetically modified (GM) foods. Reports on both the scientific evidence and people’s opinions on the GM issue have appeared in the media.