By Adele Kay
“Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, “and what is the use of a book” thought Alice, “without pictures or conversations?” So begins the classic tale by Lewis Carroll and with it my biggest learning from my career thus far spent working in human research ethics, animal ethics, research integrity, biosafety and biosecurity, defence export controls and clinical trial governance at a University.
As research administrators and managers it is our role to bring to life the words written in our framework documents. Be it the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research, the Australia code for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes, the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research or the (seemingly infinite) list of legislation, regulations and institutional policy and procedure that inform the practice of an array of research activities. But without us and the people we work with they are only words on a page. Just like the joy of reading is to be found in the characters we bring to life in the reading (be it in our head or out loud to others), so too the best bits of our work are to be found in the people we work with; be it our colleagues in our teams, our colleagues in our sector, the people involved in the review process or the people we seek to support.
- Down the Rabbit-hole
I started my career in a human research ethics administrator role fresh from being admitted to practice law. One of my primary motivations in studying law when I had to make the choice during the tender years of high-school was because it seemed like a logical and straightforward career pathway. Study law and become a lawyer. Easy. But just as Alice follows the White Rabbit down “a large rabbit-hole under the hedge… never once considering how in the world she was to get out again”, I too had no idea that I would spend the next 12 years of my career (and life) working in the same team.
I feel that this is a common journey for most of us working in research administration and management and specifically the areas of research ethics and integrity. There is no formal course to study to become an Ethics Executive Officer or Manager. But it is in the plethora of experience and skills that we bring to the professor that the richness is to be found. As a manager responsible for both recruitment and development of staff, I always focus on the transferable skills. These include legal training (I may be biased here), policy experience, project and change management skills, investigations, people experienced in providing education to others, finance, front-of-house customer service, and the list is infinite. There really isn’t too much in the way of professional skills that can’t be used (it might just need to be creatively) in support of research ethics and integrity. So back yourself and look for opportunities to add to your portfolio of skills through both formal and informal learnings.
- Advice from a Caterpillar
“The Caterpillar and Alice looked at each other for some time in silence: at last the Caterpillar took the hookah out of its mouth, and addressed her in a languid, sleepy voice.
“Who are you?” said the Caterpillar.
This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, “I- I hardly know, Sir, just at present…”
The number of times and different contexts that I have felt like this is incalculable. I’ve turned-up to meetings thinking I was there to take notes/minutes and been “invited” by the Chairperson (often someone rather senior like a Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research)) to give the background, outline the key issues and provide recommendations on next steps. Or I nervously made an appointment at my manager’s suggestion of a potential mentor with the meeting to go rather like Alice’s meeting of the Caterpillar.
I don’t have any solutions to this situation other than to say it will no doubt happen to you, its normal and not a reflection of your professionalism, and that you just need to give it your best go. Being prepared (for example I’ve resorted to writing speech notes when I anticipate I’ll be asked to speak to an item at the Committee meeting of which I was invited as an observer) can really help you back yourself. Also, if you are feeling intimidated by someone or not knowing how to support them, you can ask them what they would like from you or ask a mentor about how they have best supported a particular individual.
Just like in our everyday lives there are people who you will click with and others you won’t. Find your people (or tribe) and interact with them as much as you can. In my Manager role not a week goes by where I don’t get in touch with a colleague at another institution to seek their advice or guidance on a particular issue. These are rich opportunities to not only inform your decisions but also to build relationships.
I have also collected a wide range of mentors (many of whom have become friends) over my career. While the initial conversation can feel a lot like a date (with neither of you sure why you are there), if you can give some thought as to what you are hoping to learn from them/get help with that can help a lot. A lot of Employment Assistance Program (EAP) providers also provide professional coaching services so this can be a more formal option.
- A Mad Tea-Party
Everyone (well all the ones worth knowing) love cake. Look for opportunities to bring people together. Gone are the days when Ethics Committees meet in person, but those from those times will remember how important the catering was. Celebrate the wins, and console as a group the losses. Look for opportunities to meet researchers face-to-face. This will help build rapport and breakdown the perception of “having to GET ethics”.
Another benefit to investing in good relationships is knowing that into the future you will no doubt and other people will certainly wear different “hats” from what is worn now. Partway through the Mad Tea-Party the Hatter declares “I want a clean cup… let’s all move one place on”. During my career, I’ve had the role of Administration Officer, Executive Officer (Human Ethics), Research Integrity Coordinator and Deputy Manager and finally Manager (with some “offline” project based work in-between). I’ve seen research integrity, biosafety and biosecurity, defence export controls and clinical trial governance come into and out of my portfolio. I’ve had people move through different roles in my team and worked with people wearing their researchers, Chairs and/or Committee member hats. Never underestimate the value that you bring in having good relationships with people knowing that the only thing constant is change.
- Alice’s evidence
I have many times experienced a situation similar to “That’s very important,” the King said… the White Rabbit interrupted: “Unimportant, your Majesty means, of course,” he said, he said in a very respectful tone…”
Never forget our foundational documents. Actually, read them and read them regularly. When working in Ethics I have made sure I read the National Statement and Animal Code in full (cover to cover) at least every 6 months. It is amazing what I pick-up each time and what is relevant at different times. Having a really solid understanding (read expertise) of the foundation documents is essential to feeling competent in our roles.
The words in the guideline documents form the basis of our work. In recent times I’ve had the joy of reading to my toddler. First word-for-word, then when I know the story being confident to bring the characters to life and finally these stories have informed our play as we act out the plots and characters. But I can’t do any of the “value add” without a good knowledge of the story itself. So too our (and our researchers’) understanding of Ethics needs to be firmly grounded in the words of our guidance documents.
- It was all a dream
Just as Alice’s adventure turned out to be a dream from which she awoke to find her head resting in her sister’s lap sitting on the bank of a river, my journey in research ethics (plus all the extras) at a University has come to an end. It has been weird and whacky, at times stressful but a lot of the time fun and hugely rewarding. As I always say to my team, nothing is permanent and therefore everything is fixable. Its all a journey but ultimately you need to hold on your values and focus on what makes you happy.
*Story theme and quotes taken from Carroll, L 2015, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland: 150th Anniversary Edition Illustrated by Salvador Dali, Princeton University Press, New Jersey
I would love to stay in touch and am always happy to offer my two-cents worth. I can be contacted via Ad********@****ud.com or add me to your LinedIn network www.linkedin.com/in/adele-kay-35b80892
This post may be cited as:
Kay, A. (14 March 2022) Adele’s Adventures in Wonderland*: Reflections on a 12-year journey in ethics, research integrity and so much more. Research Ethics Monthly. Retrieved from: https://ahrecs.com/adeles-adventures-in-wonderland-reflections-on-a-12-year-journey-in-ethics-research-integrity-and-so-much-more/