{"id":111957,"date":"2022-08-11T19:43:58","date_gmt":"2022-08-11T23:43:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thecollegefix.com\/?p=111957"},"modified":"2022-08-12T07:48:39","modified_gmt":"2022-08-12T11:48:39","slug":"journal-launches-probe-into-phd-students-paper-on-masturbating-to-images-of-underaged-boys","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thecollegefix.com\/journal-launches-probe-into-phd-students-paper-on-masturbating-to-images-of-underaged-boys\/","title":{"rendered":"Journal launches probe into PhD student\u2019s paper on masturbating to images of underaged boys"},"content":{"rendered":"

The scholarly peer-reviewed journal Qualitative Research<\/em> has launched an investigation into a paper by a humanities PhD student about masturbating to Japanese pornographic illustrations featuring underaged boys.<\/p>\n

“On August 9th we began investigating the publication of the paper ‘I am not alone \u2013 we are all alone: Using masturbation as an ethnographic method in research on shota subculture in Japan,'” the journal’s editors announced<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“We are continuing with our investigations and will consider closely all guidance from the Committee of Publication Ethics and ensure that any actions taken comply with COPE standards.”<\/p>\n

The controversial paper<\/a> was published in April and more recently prompted outrage, questions and criticisms. It was written by University of Manchester humanities graduate student Karl Andersson.<\/p>\n

“I wanted to understand how my research participants experience sexual pleasure when reading shota<\/em>, a Japanese genre of self-published erotic comics that features young boy characters,\u201d Andersson wrote in the abstract<\/a>. \u201cI therefore started reading the comics in the same way as my research participants had told me that they did it: while masturbating.”<\/p>\n

Andersson\u2019s research is funded by the University of Manchester, according to his Twitter profile, in which he describes himself as “PhD student at + funded by <\/span>@UoMSALC.”<\/span><\/p>\n

However, the article includes a disclaimer stating that \u201cthe author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and\/or publication of this article.\u201d<\/p>\n

Academics, MPs question ethics of article<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Andersson\u2019s “4,000-word essay was published in April, and since then, horrified social media users have found it and shared it on Mumsnet, where it has been dubbed a ‘PhD in w*nking,'” The Guardian<\/em> reported<\/a> this week.<\/p>\n

ResearchProfessional News<\/em> reported<\/a> August 10 that several “academics and public figures have strongly criticised the study and the procedures that allowed it to be conducted and published in a peer-reviewed journal.”<\/p>\n

“This entire article describes the author masturbating to drawn child sexual abuse material,” Michael Salter told the news outlet. Salter is a professor at the University of New South Wales, in Australia, who studies child abuse. “He describes his arousal to sexual scenes featuring \u2018very young boys\u2019. How was this written, reviewed or published?”<\/p>\n

Harborough Member of Parliament Neil O\u2019Brien wrote<\/a> on Twitter: \u201cWhy should hard-working taxpayers in my constituency have to pay for an academic to write about his experiences masturbating to Japanese porn?”<\/p>\n

\u201cThe non-Stem side of higher education is just much too big, producing too much that is not socially useful.”<\/p>\n

\n

Why should hard-working taxpayers in my constituency have to pay for an academic to write about his experiences masturbating to Japanese porn?<\/p>\n

The non-STEM side of higher education is just much too big, producing too much that is not socially useful.https:\/\/t.co\/MPCGU4slLE<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/ctJQYyoa5p<\/a><\/p>\n

— Neil O'Brien MP (@NeilDotObrien) August 10, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n