Dual use beyond the life sciences: An LIS perspective

•Dual use research (which can be misused for malevolent purposes) was found in nearly all scientific disciplines surveyed.•4.8% of life science editors reported dealing with dual use research in the journals that they edited.•7.2% of non-life science editors reported the occurrence of dual use research in their journals.•Editors strongly supported openness of scientific communication and resisted limiting circulation of scientific research.

Dual use research is used to describe research, conducted for benign purposes, which could be used for malevolent purposes. Most recent studies of dual use research have focused on the life sciences, although some researchers have suggested that dual use research occurs across many disciplines. This study is an initial investigation into the prevalence of dual use research in other scientific disciplines through surveying senior editors of scientific journals. Survey results show that some journal editors in nearly every discipline reported some experience with dual use research. This suggests that broader conceptualizations of dual use research are needed. The publication—or withholding—of dual use research has implications for norms of scholarly communication.