Some professional academic researchers (in that they are
employed by Universities to carry out research) profess to being driven mad by
the hurdles of ethics committees, not least because of the time it takes to
prepare materials and to have clearance. In the commercial world such luxury of
time may not be possible. It could be argued however that to ensure that research
is valid, and especially research carried out with vulnerable participants, it should
never be rushed or not thought through.
Academic research, in the UK amongst other countries, is
highly regarded and trusted. While mostly highly respected, this may nevertheless
not always the case of commercial research. If this means ensuring that the
research methodology, sampling and proposed reporting is subject to the
scrutiny of a body of professional researchers beforehand, as well as results
rigorously peer reviewed afterwards, this should not be challenged. It could be
argued that commercial research should sometimes take a leaf out of academia in ensuring that it is truly robust, ethical, fair, and interpreted in
a way that reflects the high standards of the professional commercial research
industry. The demand for instant results will always be there, but commercial
researchers may sometimes need to push back and argue for time, consideration,
and peer review of results.