New publication explores dignity, tensions and burnout in consumer-inclusive research

Posted on Tuesday 8th September 2026

A new publication from Hopkins Centre researchers explores the often unseen emotional, relational and organisational demands experienced by researchers undertaking consumer-inclusive and participatory research.

Navigating dignity tensions and burnout: a collaborative autoethnography of consumer-inclusive researchers’ experiences brings together Hopkins researchers Dr Kelsey Chapman, Dr Michael Norwood, Dr Kelly Clanchy and Dr Jessie Mitchell, alongside an interdisciplinary team of researchers from Bond University and other organisations. Published in the Journal of Marketing Management, the paper examines what it takes for researchers to meaningfully engage with consumers and communities in research, and the pressures that can arise in doing so.

Using a collaborative autoethnographic approach, the researchers identified four key themes: dignity tensions; values and identity as institutional leverage; the invisibility of relational labour; and sustaining the unsustainable. The findings highlight that the challenges experienced by researchers are not simply individual issues, but can be shaped by organisational systems, governance and research evaluation practices. Emotional, relational and moral demands can often be absorbed by researchers who are committed to values-driven and inclusive approaches.

Importantly, the publication calls for responsibility to be shared across researchers, teams, institutions and broader research systems. The authors propose a multi-level model and a dignity-sustaining manifesto to help create more ethical and sustainable approaches to consumer-inclusive research.

The publication adds an important perspective to ongoing conversations about how research can be genuinely inclusive while also supporting the wellbeing and sustainability of the people who make that work possible.