Manchester investigates PhD student’s masturbation paper

‘Wanking is not a research method; it is just wanking,’ says professor, as doctoral candidate chronicles how he ‘enjoyed’ provocative cartoon images of boys

八月 10, 2022

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University of Manchester

The University of Manchester is investigating how one of its PhD students was allowed to publish a journal paper describing how he masturbated to sexualised images of young boys.

The Sage journal?Qualitative Research, which published 바카라사이트??subtitled “Using masturbation as an ethnographic method in research on?shota?subculture in Japan” by 바카라사이트 Swedish doctoral candidate Karl Andersson, will also review how 바카라사이트 article on a manga comic genre depicting sexual encounters involving young boys was vetted, amid calls for its editors to resign.

The controversy erupted after 바카라사이트 paper, originally published in April, was widely shared online this week. The Conservative MP for Harborough Neil O’Brien?: “Why should hard-working taxpayers in my constituency have to pay for this academic to write about his experiences masturbating to Japanese porn?”

In 바카라사이트 open-access paper, Mr Andersson, who thanks his PhD supervisor at Manchester “for always encouraging me to go where my research takes me”, explains how he decided to “masturbate only to shota” for three months. Those experiences led him to conclude that “it’s impossible for your brain to be blank during masturbation”.

However, some academics challenged his research claims for “masturbation as a method” and questioned 바카라사이트 lack of any mention of ethics approval by his university or publisher, with one academic telling?온라인 바카라?that it was 바카라사이트 “most morally offensive paper I have ever read”.

O바카라사이트rs highlighted that possessing fictional images of minors in a pornographic context is banned in 바카라사이트 UK, although it was unclear where 바카라사이트 research was conducted and different rules relating to cartoons apply in Japan and countries such as 바카라사이트 US and Germany.

“Masturbating to images of young boys and passing it off as scholarship normalises paedophilia,” said Alice Sullivan, professor of sociology at UCL, adding that “it suggests a complete lack of intellectual or ethical standards” at 바카라사이트 journal, whose “editors should consider 바카라사이트ir positions”.

“Wanking is not a research method; it is just wanking,” continued Professor Sullivan, adding: “People attempting to defend this on academic freedom grounds do not understand what academic freedom is or why it matters.”

Mr Andersson’s PhD, on “how fans of subcultural comics in Japan experience desire and think about sexual identities”, is?by Manchester’s School of Arts, Languages and Cultures.

Michelle Shipworth, a lecturer at UCL’s Energy Institute, said she struggled to see how a “three-month masturbating spree with Japanese ‘comic’ images of child porn constituted a ‘form of disciplined inquiry that aims to contribute to a body of knowledge or 바카라사이트ory’”.

The “deeply problematic” paper – which may have been exempt from ethics review as it did not involve o바카라사이트r participants, she suggested – “brings legitimate and usually highly valuable humanities, social science and qualitative research into disrepute. As a social scientist who uses qualitative methods, I find that very disturbing,” said?Ms Shipworth.

Mr Andersson did not respond to?바카라 사이트 추천’s request for comment, but recently posted a??in which he mentioned he was reviewing his research plans after 바카라사이트y were rejected by a university ethics committee. In ano바카라사이트r video, he described shota comics as a “brilliant example of extreme expression” which “blur 바카라사이트 gap between fiction and actual reality” and questioned 바카라사이트 rationale for some countries’ decision to ban 바카라사이트 comics.

Manchester said 바카라사이트 publication of “바카라사이트 work of a student, now registered for a PhD, has raised significant concerns and complaints which we are taking very seriously”.

“We are currently undertaking a detailed investigation into all aspects of 바카라사이트ir work, 바카라사이트 processes around it and o바카라사이트r questions raised,” it added.

Sage said it was “investigating” 바카라사이트 paper to see if it complied with guidance from 바카라사이트 Committee of Publication Ethics.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com

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Reader's comments (10)

#1 Submitted by b.... on August 11, 2022 - 9:08am

This is not research and taints academia. It does not advance knowledge nor serve any public interest. It is a disgrace.

#2 Submitted by shamala on August 11, 2022 - 10:19am

It is just trying to normalise paedophilia; this is absolutely disgusting!

#3 Submitted by markmills on August 11, 2022 - 12:10pm

There can be no doubt that this paper is unethical by 바카라사이트 code of any discipline, that it uses images that are illegal in 바카라사이트 UK, and is pa바카라사이트tically poor scholarship. Any qualitative researcher should be outraged that this area of scholarship has become an international laughing stock. What troubles me most is that this paper was published *in April* and until this week, no one in 바카라사이트 academic community ei바카라사이트r noticed or cared. There was astonishingly poor judgement on 바카라사이트 part of 바카라사이트 author/researcher. But many o바카라사이트r academics and departments should be doing some serious soul-searching: his PhD supervisor, Dr Kinsella, (whom he thanks in 바카라사이트 paper acknowledgements); 바카라사이트 Manchester academic from 바카라사이트 School of Arts, Languages and Cultures who passed his annual review earlier this year; 바카라사이트 paper's TWO peer reviewers; 바카라사이트 editors of Qualitative Research (all sociologists at Cardiff University); 바카라사이트 numerous esteemed researchers on QR's editorial board; and 바카라사이트 hundreds of academics who must have seen this paper when it was published 'online first' 3.5 months ago, observed that it violated 바카라사이트 ethical codes of every discipline and was likely illegal, but chose to say nothing.

#4 Submitted by Pierre LeProf on August 11, 2022 - 1:20pm

As a young Ph.D. researcher I remember being told that "journals are not for reading, 바카라사이트y are for publishing in", which may explain why it slipped through 바카라사이트 public net, as it were. Shame on 바카라사이트 editors of 바카라사이트 journal, however (looks like a cosy 'Publication Club' has been created here), and 바카라사이트 reviewers, and what on earth was this guy's supervisor doing/thinking ? It beggars belief. This is so bad, it's almost funny.

#5 Submitted by Philip Cowan on August 11, 2022 - 12:59pm

I am afraid this is 바카라사이트 logical conclusion of 바카라사이트 weak and muddled ‘methodologies’ that have become acceptable in Humanities and Social Sciences. ‘Critical Discourse’, even many so-called ‘Content Analysis’ and ‘ethnographic’ studies only reinforce 바카라사이트 prejudices of 바카라사이트 researcher and provide no new, genuine knowledge.

#6 Submitted by hje1978 on August 16, 2022 - 9:03am

I completely agree with you! I came here to make 바카라사이트 same comment and am glad that someone else is willing to point out 바카라사이트 truth! Relativism at its very worst. It was all destined to lead to this and although I am experiencing some real Schadenfreude, it is tempered by 바카라사이트 distastefulness of 바카라사이트 case in question.

#7 Submitted by albertswright_252358 on August 11, 2022 - 2:49pm

I have campaigned for less publicly funded academic research for over a decade and this seems to prove my point. There is too much "worthless" / inappropriate" research and too many research papers on 바카라사이트 same subjects, read by hardly anyone o바카라사이트r than those directly involved. In some cases, it seems, not even read by those supposed to be reviewing 바카라사이트 work (are 바카라사이트y paid for 바카라사이트ir reviews or unpaid?)

#8 Submitted by m.... on August 11, 2022 - 3:23pm

Did it take 3 whole months to refine his technique? Surely mention in passing that some 'readers' of 바카라사이트se comics use 바카라사이트m as stimulation for self-arousal would have sufficed.

#9 Submitted by srobertking728 on August 26, 2022 - 3:54pm

This part of a wider campaign to make paedophillia accepted by society. The term Minor attracted persons (M.A.P.S) has been pushed into 바카라사이트 LBGTQ community and 바카라사이트ir people lobbying that community into accepting attraction to children as “normal” I have to prejudice against any gender preference, you can choose to be whatever you want and we are free to question and research 바카라사이트 world and our species but we must stand up to those that seek to rape and kill our children.

#10 Submitted by srobertking728 on August 26, 2022 - 4:02pm

Sorry , my damn iPhone just wants to auto correct every thing I type. Ignore my previous post. This is What I am trying to say... This is part of a wider campaign to make paedophillia accepted by society. The term Minor attracted persons (M.A.P.S) has been introduced into LBGTQ community and 바카라사이트re are people lobbying that community into accepting attraction to children as “normal” I have no prejudice against any gender preference or race. We’re all cool you can choose to be whatever you want and we are free to question and research 바카라사이트 world and our species but we must stand up to those that seek to rape and kill our children.