I agree with Mr. Ruffin. I struggle with the idea of doing research without any intent to not change the way that things are done in the world. It has always been my intent to use my research to make a difference in the lives of people who are suffering from disparities. For me, there is no purpose to research unless it will lead to improving lives. Therefore, I believe that all researchers should be advocates, however, I don’t worry about balance because I believe that it is not a useful construct in this context.
This is primarily because, I don’t believe that scientific inquiry is objective. Decisions are made at all steps of the research process in which the researcher is representing his/her perspective. Not only is research not objective because of who is allowed to do it and what forms are deemed appropriate to be shared but also the process of research itself is subjective. From determining what to study, to whom to include in your study, to what data is relevant to collect, to how results should be interpreted. At every stage, assumptions are made that impact the outcome of the research. Therefore, I strongly believe that all researchers should be honest with themselves and clear with their audiences about the reason they are doing their work and the relationship they have with their subjects.