What is responsible research?

I've always enjoyed reading Heath and Cushman's studies and noting the connections and departures between them, especially the shift that Cushman makes toward participatory action research with reciprocity embedded in it. I also think Kirsch and Moss do a good job of framing the challenges associated with ethics, insider/outsider knowledge.

One of the key issues I'd like to discuss today comes from Missy's blog entry where she takes up the idea of responsible research. What constitutes responsible research in ethnography or activist ethnographic research? Responsible to whom and under what conditions? How do Heath and Cushman take up that challenge (Moss and Kirsch, too)--to whom do they feel responsible? Why? And where do we localize our sense of responsiblity in our research? I'm thinking about this with respect to Steve's comments yesterday in the CCRcolloquium. Steve's point is to funnel academic resources and opportunities to communities outside the university. His trajectory is not the composition classroom or the academic dept, but neighborhoods and communities and a bi-directional flow between the university and the community. Gwen spoke of her research not doing harm and benefiting those represented and contributing to understanding.

And the question of material constraints, which was raised in the readings and blogs this week (see Anna's blog). Cushman's participants seem to feel the relationship is fluid (as Cushman does as well). This is a 3 1/2 year set of relationships and with Heath a 9 year set of relationships. How do we deal with time, trust, and investment on either end of the research/participant spectrum? As members of our class consider doing qualitative research, what are your key questions, concerns, challenges?