Ethical Dimensions of Nonacademic Research in the Development Sector: A Perspective from Jordan

International development organizations regularly commission social scientific studies to inform countries’ strategies and programming. While they are expected to be policy relevant, these studies can suffer from limitations related to how they are justified, framed, funded, and used, relying on levels of expertise essentially determined by commissioning organizations. With a focus on Jordan, I explore ethical dimensions of nonacademic research within the development sector. This essay is meant to be a reflective piece that draws on my personal experience as a development practitioner as well as interviews with representatives of consulting firms, academic organizations, and donors in Jordan.