Ethics and the co-production of knowledge

Abstract

There is an increasing focus on co-production in public health research. By their very nature, such research endeavours involve a different set of relationships, goals, and values than traditional research. To date, ethical issues that arise during the co-production process are dealt with on an ad hoc and case-by-case basis. There is a need to make the ethical considerations of co-production explicit. This article outlines several ethical values that could be considered in co-production using two different ethical frameworks. It also draws upon practical co-production research that highlights some of the ethical issues that arise. It argues that all stakeholders in the co-production process have a responsibility to ensure that the knowledge they co-produce is as beneficial as possible. In doing so, they must adhere to a set of ethics surrounding the generation of such knowledge, including health equity, intellectual property considerations, and respect for the rights of individuals and groups.