Skip to content
ADVERTISEMENT
Sign In
  • Sections
    • News
    • Advice
    • The Review
  • Topics
    • Data
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
    • Finance & Operations
    • International
    • Leadership & Governance
    • Teaching & Learning
    • Scholarship & Research
    • Student Success
    • Technology
    • Transitions
    • The Workplace
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Special Issues
    • Podcast: College Matters from The Chronicle
  • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle On-The-Road
    • Professional Development
  • Ask Chron
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Professional Development
    • Career Resources
    • Virtual Career Fair
  • More
  • Sections
    • News
    • Advice
    • The Review
  • Topics
    • Data
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
    • Finance & Operations
    • International
    • Leadership & Governance
    • Teaching & Learning
    • Scholarship & Research
    • Student Success
    • Technology
    • Transitions
    • The Workplace
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Special Issues
    • Podcast: College Matters from The Chronicle
  • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle On-The-Road
    • Professional Development
  • Ask Chron
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Professional Development
    • Career Resources
    • Virtual Career Fair
    Upcoming Events:
    College Advising
    Serving Higher Ed
    Chronicle Festival 2025
Sign In
Commentary

The Dangerous Silence of Academic Researchers

By Y. Claire Wang February 23, 2015
The Dangerous Silence of Academic Researchers 1
Michael Morgenstern for The Chronicle

Three years ago, I was invited to testify before the New York City Board of Health about a proposed law to cap the portion size of sugary drinks served in restaurants. This request didn’t come as a surprise. After all, I had published several well-cited articles linking these beverages to childhood obesity. What did catch me off guard was my reaction: I was horrified at the thought of taking a public position for or against. I was reminded of that reaction when I read Andrew J. Hoffman’s recent essay in The Chronicle on how academics need to communicate with the public on a wide range of public-policy issues.

To continue reading for FREE, please sign in.

Sign In

Or subscribe now to read with unlimited access for as low as $10/month.

Don’t have an account? Sign up now.

A free account provides you access to a limited number of free articles each month, plus newsletters, job postings, salary data, and exclusive store discounts.

Sign Up

Three years ago, I was invited to testify before the New York City Board of Health about a proposed law to cap the portion size of sugary drinks served in restaurants. This request didn’t come as a surprise. After all, I had published several well-cited articles linking these beverages to childhood obesity. What did catch me off guard was my reaction: I was horrified at the thought of taking a public position for or against. I was reminded of that reaction when I read Andrew J. Hoffman’s recent essay in The Chronicle on how academics need to communicate with the public on a wide range of public-policy issues.

In my field, public health and nutrition, as in many other fields of science, presentations tend to be rich with data and discussions of limitations and caveats, almost always closing with the phrase “more research is needed.” Testifying before the board of health, I would have no such options. Rather I would have five minutes to stake out a clear position. Yes, I believed, as did virtually all of my colleagues, that sugary drinks threatened people’s health, but was my belief sufficient to justify this policy action? Were a handful of longitudinal studies and two randomized control trials enough evidence?

To the layman, such concerns may seem laughable, but for me they were very real, part and parcel of the culture of academic research. We researchers aspire to be truth-finders, both objective and neutral. We often wrestle with what I call the “high degree of proof” syndrome, the belief that anything less than rock-solid evidence (which, for many, means nothing less than many large randomized control trials all producing the same results) is insufficient to justify public action.

And, perhaps most important, we fear being wrong. When company reps, government officials, or hired lobbyists issue statements on behalf of their constituencies, what matters is their capacity to get their position across. Their primary goal is not to expand the world’s store of knowledge and speak to the state of science.

To be sure, being wrong is no small thing, as history shows. To name just two examples, nutrition scientists used to recommend margarine over butter in the 1970s, and hormone replacement therapy was routinely prescribed to postmenopausal women in the 1990s, reflecting a belief that a gain in reducing the risk of hip fracture and heart disease outweighed the risks of the therapy itself. Scientists deliberated on the best available evidence at the time to make these recommendations, but newer, more definitive studies reversed the state of science—and the standard practice—decades later.

Unfortunately, these recommendations may have resulted in more heart attacks, strokes, and occurrences of breast cancer (in the case of hormone replacement) among those who followed these guidelines. And the perceptions among the public often linger long after the science has been updated.

Should researchers have remained silent on these issues? Should they have publicly opposed recommendations not supported by perfect evidence? Here’s the problem with answering yes: If we wait for perfect evidence, we will wait forever. Perfect evidence is Santa Claus: (spoiler alert) It does not exist.

What we do often have is good-enough evidence—evidence that, if shared, stands a strong chance of making a positive difference. When we absent ourselves from the public stage, we too often cede the conversation to those with the loudest voices or deepest pockets. For example, the beverage industry spent more than $10-million to persuade voters in Berkeley and San Francisco to vote against a tax on sugary drinks last November.

In staying silent, we also pave the way for more celebrities like Jenny McCarthy, people with megaphones to spread sensational misinformation that may have deadly consequences—consequences that are now all too apparent in the recent outbreak of measles, a disease believed to be eradicated as recently as 2000. We pave the way for a world where, in the words of Yeats, “the best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.”

Yes, speaking out carries risks, but staying silent in the public discourse may be even riskier. It was with this in mind that I took a deep breath and decided to step out of my comfort zone and voice my support for the proposed portion-size limitations on soda. I didn’t say this was the silver bullet that would solve the obesity epidemic for us, because it isn’t, but I believed this was one step in the right direction.

ADVERTISEMENT

And you know what? It wasn’t nearly as daunting as I’d feared it would be. I also found myself in good company with several other academic types there, citing relevant data to voice their support or push back. Nobody focused on the gaps in my statement—they were focused on what I did say.

To step into the spotlight and make a case for or against a public policy takes courage and deep reflection as a scientist, but we can’t simply opt out. We won’t always be successful (indeed, the law I went to bat for was ultimately struck down, not because of the scientific evidence but for legal reasons), but we can do our part. When we withhold our perspectives, we risk depriving the public of the best available information. Speaking out is not only our right, it is also our responsibility.

We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
Tags
Opinion
Share
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Email
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

More News

Vector illustration of large open scissors  with several workers in seats dangling by white lines
Iced Out
Duke Administrators Accused of Bypassing Shared-Governance Process in Offering Buyouts
Illustration showing money being funnelled into the top of a microscope.
'A New Era'
Higher-Ed Associations Pitch an Alternative to Trump’s Cap on Research Funding
Illustration showing classical columns of various heights, each turning into a stack of coins
Endowment funds
The Nation’s Wealthiest Small Colleges Just Won a Big Tax Exemption
WASHINGTON, DISTICT OF COLUMBIA, UNITED STATES - 2025/04/14: A Pro-Palestinian demonstrator holding a sign with Release Mahmud Khalil written on it, stands in front of the ICE building while joining in a protest. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators rally in front of the ICE building, demanding freedom for Mahmoud Khalil and all those targeted for speaking out against genocide in Palestine. Protesters demand an end to U.S. complicity and solidarity with the resistance in Gaza. (Photo by Probal Rashid/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Campus Activism
An Anonymous Group’s List of Purported Critics of Israel Helped Steer a U.S. Crackdown on Student Activists

From The Review

John T. Scopes as he stood before the judges stand and was sentenced, July 2025.
The Review | Essay
100 Years Ago, the Scopes Monkey Trial Discovered Academic Freedom
By John K. Wilson
Vector illustration of a suited man with a pair of scissors for a tie and an American flag button on his lapel.
The Review | Opinion
A Damaging Endowment Tax Crosses the Finish Line
By Phillip Levine
University of Virginia President Jim Ryan keeps his emotions in check during a news conference, Monday, Nov. 14, 2022 in Charlottesville. Va. Authorities say three people have been killed and two others were wounded in a shooting at the University of Virginia and a student is in custody. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
The Review | Opinion
Jim Ryan’s Resignation Is a Warning
By Robert Zaretsky

Upcoming Events

07-31-Turbulent-Workday_assets v2_Plain.png
Keeping Your Institution Moving Forward in Turbulent Times
Ascendium_Housing_Plain.png
What It Really Takes to Serve Students’ Basic Needs: Housing
Lead With Insight
  • Explore Content
    • Latest News
    • Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Professional Development
    • Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Chronicle Intelligence
    • Jobs in Higher Education
    • Post a Job
  • Know The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • Vision, Mission, Values
    • DEI at The Chronicle
    • Write for Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • Our Reporting Process
    • Advertise With Us
    • Brand Studio
    • Accessibility Statement
  • Account and Access
    • Manage Your Account
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Group and Institutional Access
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
  • Get Support
    • Contact Us
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • User Agreement
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037
© 2025 The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education is academe’s most trusted resource for independent journalism, career development, and forward-looking intelligence. Our readers lead, teach, learn, and innovate with insights from The Chronicle.
Follow Us
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • facebook
  • linkedin