This excerpt from the interview speaks to:
1) the ways in which consent forms-as much as I observed that they are often more symbolic than actually used verbatim in introducing of the research-are nonetheless still an important reference point for researchers when determining what can and can't be shared beyond the research encounter.
2) heirarchies of what is considered higher quality research work. In this example, the interlocutor mentions research that is conducted by an institution (rather than an individual) is seen as more legitimate. It is "lesser" if there is no institution behind a researcher. A pilot is also seen as "lower" on the heirarchy of credible and legitimate research (data).
3) sharing the research data is seen as potentially risky for certain institutions because it could paint them in a bad light. This is something that has emerged from my participant observation at a separate organization which was most concerned about reputational risk for their company. Thus in this excerpt, the interlocutor notes that clearance at multiple different levels would likely be needed (and it would not only take time but probably be challenging to get approved at all levels).
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3:43: “Of course after I read it, if I remember. I would feel comfortable. I would have to look at how we...what kind of information was in the consent for them. Yeah, I'll have to check, what did we tell them? And then yeah...because also it's institutional yeah? Because this project we were doing it not as an institution by the way. It's a pilot at a lower level. So it speaks of students' experiences, which some of them could be perceived by the University as damning for their reputation. So there could be need for clearance at some different levels, especially because it’s…”
7:10 EAKWAM03 articulates a very important sentiment here where she mentions how she feels so alone in her attempt to bring change to higher education institutions in Kenya because she is just an individual. She wonders if a platform like the Research Data Share platform might be one way to gain visibility of an issue because it isn’t just her opinion or her voice but actually demonstrates the testimonies of the students and their experiences in the data transcript itself.
“I hope [REDACTED - NAME OF GOV’T ORGANIZATION]…but they are so used to speaking to Vice Chancellors, I don't know, and that for me is the thing, I don't know if this should be...[recorded]... it feels like...I feel so...I feel so alone. Like I'm a solo voice. And I feel deeply I'm speaking something that makes sense. But I just feel because I'm solo. I'm not in an institution of higher learning, in a very big institution, I feel my voice may not be heard. So I...it's either I use this [data sharing platform] to, to sort of amplify my voice or see how I can create a community of... but it's kind of...feels so slowly... it feels so big for me. But so important. So I mean that... And maybe this is how...one way my voice as a solo person, interested in higher education...because normally people approached it as institutionally, let's solve this but as an individual, I still feel you can see a problem in...in an institution and want to do something but maybe this is…[trails off]”