Abstract In this article, we discuss the cancellation of research and evaluation as one of many attacks on systematically collected evidence. Such attacks have the intended purpose of opening entry points for the flow of disinformation; undermining the ability to make the case for the importance of human rights; and discrediting human rights defenders and the community organizations they lead. We make the case that knowledge generation and movement building are intertwined and challenge the false dichotomization between researchers and activists. We provide an alternative framework for continuing the necessary work of activism and research as funding becomes even more scarce.
Miller et al. (2025) studied this question.