ABSTRACT
Journalism as an academic discipline has existed in tertiary institutions since the 1920s and has grown exponentially in Australia since the mid-1970s. Traditionally, ethics committees of academic institutions in Australia vary in their understanding of journalism’s professional values and beliefs, making scholarly research using journalism as a methodology difficult. Journalism in the context of practice-based research is distinct from other academic disciplines such as ‘Journalism Studies’. The opportunities for publication in scholarly journals are, then, seemingly almost limitless. There are flexibilities within the National Statement to allow for research using journalism as a methodology to proceed. The twinned concepts of Research Merit and Integrity are designed to ensure academic research is not frivolous but has genuine justification and is carried out with expertise. Journalism’s spirit and intent around harm minimisation are in alliance with the National Statement’s concept of Respect, or a ‘recognition’ of each individual’s ‘intrinsic value’.
