What Is a Mutual Aid Research Collective?

Superstorm Research Lab. 2013. “What Is a Mutual Aid Research Collective?” Superstorm Research Lab. July.

The Superstorm Research Lab is a mutual aid research collective made up of twelve researchers from different universities working to change the way research is done by using a mutual aid model. Mutual Aid Research is characterized by solidarity, or fellowship arising from common responsibilities and interests, and reciprocity, or mutual exchange, with fellow researchers and research participants. This is a non-hierarchical, cooperative decision-making organization where members elect to help one another achieve their goals by having shared responsibilities, skills, and grants, with weekly meetings led by a rotating facilitator.  The researchers also collectively develop an interview protocol that they use in all their research. In research the work done by the members, either collectively or individually within the group, is open to other researchers to use so long as they credit the source of the information in their work.