Abstract This paper is a study of the decisions that researchers take during the execution of a research plan: their researcher discretion. Flexible research methods are generally seen as undesirable, and many methodologists urge to eliminate these so-called ‘researcher degrees of freedom’ from the research practice. However, what this looks like in practice is unclear. Based on twelve months of ethnographic fieldwork in two end-of-life research groups in which we observed research practice, conducted interviews, and collected documents, we explore when researchers are required to make decisions, and what these decisions entail. An abductive analysis of this data showed that researchers are constantly required to further interpret research plans, indicating that there is no clear division between planning and plan execution. This discretion emerges either when a research protocol is underdetermined or overdetermined, in which case they need to operationalise or adapt the plans respectively. In addition, we found that many of these instances of researcher discretion are exercised implicitly. Within the research groups it was occasionally not clear which topic merited an active decision, or which action could retroactively be categorised as one. Our ethnographic study of research practice suggests that researcher discretion is an integral and inevitable aspect of research practice, as many elements of a research protocol will either need to be further operationalised or adapted during its execution. Moreover, it may be difficult for researchers to identify their own discretion, limiting their effectivity in transparency.

Tom van Drimmelen

M. Nienke Slagboom

Ria Reis

Lex M. Bouter

Jenny T. van der Steen

Science and Engineering Ethics

SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING ETHICS 是一本国际多学科期刊，致力于探索与科学和工程相关的伦理问题，涵盖专业教育、研究和实践以及技术创新和研究成果对社会的影响。而该期刊的重点是科学欢迎来自包括社会科学和人文科学在内的广泛学科的贡献。感兴趣的领域包括但不限于新兴技术的伦理学、研究伦理学、计算机伦理学、能源伦理学、动物和人类学科伦理学、科学和工程伦理学教育、设计伦理学、生物医学伦理学、技术价值观和创新。我们欢迎从国际角度处理这些问题的贡献，特别是来自在这些讨论中代表性不足的国家的贡献。

Science and Engineering Ethics is an international multidisciplinary journal dedicated to exploring ethical issues related to science and engineering. The journal covers professional education, research and practice, as well as the societal impacts of technological innovations and research outcomes. We welcome contributions from a wide range of disciplines, including social sciences and humanities, with a particular focus on the ethics of emerging technologies, research ethics, computer ethics, energy ethics, ethics in animal and human sciences, science and engineering ethics education, design ethics, biomedical ethics, and the values and innovations in technology. The journal encourages contributions that address these issues from an international perspective, especially from countries that are underrepresented in these discussions.

《Science and Engineering Ethics》是一本国际多学科期刊，专注于探讨与科学和工程相关的伦理问题。期刊涵盖专业教育、研究与实践，以及技术创新和研究成果对社会的影响。我们欢迎来自包括社会科学和人文科学在内的广泛学科的贡献，特别关注新兴技术的伦理学、研究伦理学、计算机伦理学、能源伦理学、动物和人类学科伦理学、科学与工程伦理学教育、设计伦理学、生物医学伦理学、技术价值观和创新等领域。期刊鼓励从国际视角探讨这些问题，尤其是来自在这些讨论中代表性不足国家的贡献。

Category	Quartile
哲学	2
哲学, 科学史与科学哲学	2
哲学, 综合性期刊	2
哲学, 工程综合	3
哲学, 伦理学	3

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions: An Ethnographic Study of Researcher Discretion in Practice

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Journal Info

Category	Quartile
MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENCES	2