ethics in science basic principles...n our parents (barnehage, school, church) taught us all we need...

Ethics in ScienceBasic Principles

Galen Gisler, 2007Physics of Geological Processes

University of OsloFYS-GEO4100

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Major source:

David B. Resnick, The Ethics of Science: an

Introduction

Routledge 1998, ISBN 0-415-16698-5 (pbk)

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Why study ethics?

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Why study ethics?

n We don’t need to study ethics!n Our parents (barnehage, school, church) taught us all we

need to known We are good people and we make good decisionsn Ethics is boring, anyway

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Why study ethics?

n We don’t need to study ethics!n Our parents (barnehage, school, church) taught us all we

need to known We are good people and we make good decisionsn Ethics is boring, anyway

n We need to study ethics!n Science has a special role with respect to ethicsn Society demands high standards of scientistsn It is not always easy to determine the right thing to do n Breaches of scientific ethics make headlines and ruin careersn We’ll look at some case studies that are not boring

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Some cases of misconduct

n Pons & Fleischmann: cold fusion — publication by press release — wishful thinking — patents & money

n David Baltimore & Thereza Imanishi-Kari: immunology — falsification of data? or poor record keeping?

n Jon Sudbø & Andrew Dannenberg: cancer research —fabrication of data — exploitation of co-authors

n Hwang Woo-Suk: stem-cell research — fabrication of data —unethical treatment of subjects — misinterpretation of data — nationalist pride

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There are different categories of ethics.

n Personal Ethics: Morality

n Professional Ethics: Standards & Expectations

n Societal Ethics: Law

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Ethical standards sometimes conflict.

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n The question is not:

Should I do the right thing?

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n The question is not:

Should I do the right thing?

n Rather, the question is:

What is the right thing to do?

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We need a framework for making ethical decisions.

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Let’s start with some basic principles.

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We all know the basics:

n Don’t harm others or yourself.

n Help others and yourself.

n Respect truth: don’t lie, cheat, deceive.

n Be faithful: keep promises and agreements.

n Be fair: treat equals equally.

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Societal ethics follow.

n Allow rational people to make free, informed choices.

n Respect privacy and confidentiality.

n Maximize benefits while reducing harms for all or most people.

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There are sources of ethical guidance.

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n Religion

n Bible, Qur‘an, Tao Te Ching, …

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n Religion


n Philosophy

n Plato, Aristotle, Epictetus, Spinoza, Kant, …

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n Religion


n Philosophy

n Plato, Aristotle, Epictetus, Spinoza, Kant, …

n Literature

n Homer, Dante, Shakespeare, Khayyam, Ibsen, …

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But how do we really decide?

n Can I justify the choice?

n Can I live with it afterwards?

n Are there others who can advise me?

n Gut feelings?

Let’s examine our goals and objectives…

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What is science?

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What is science?

n The search for truth:A quest for objective knowledge about Nature.

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What is science?


n A social institution:Serving society’s needs and improving people’s lives.Made up of people with human needs and desires.

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What is science?


n A social institution:Serving society’s needs and improving people’s lives.Made up of people with human needs and desires.

n A profession:Involving training, standards, a career, respect, and privilege.

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Where is science done?

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n At universities.

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n At universities.

n In government labs or with government funding.

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n At universities.


n In military labs or with military funding.

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n At universities.



n In industry labs or with industry funding.

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n At universities.



n In industry labs or with industry funding.

Different standards and goals apply under different circumstances.

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University Goals

n To advance knowledge.

n To educate students.

n To serve the public.

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Government Goals

n To serve national needs.

n To protect the nation’s people and property.

n To compete & cooperate with other nations.

n To foster global security.


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Industry Goals

n To serve the company’s (or general industry) needs.

n To increase the stockholders’ profits.

n To compete & cooperate with other companies.

n To increase opportunities in the global market.


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A scientist’s goals

n To discover truth or satisfy curiosity — the same thing.


n To become famous and well-respected.

n To get and keep a good job.

n To live well and happy.

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Some ethical conflicts

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n Truth versus employer’s (funder’s) desired outcome

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n Employer’s needs versus societal needs

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n Need for advancement (funding, hiring, riches…) versus truth

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n Truth and openness versus secrecy

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n Cooperation versus competition

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n Conflicts of interest

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n Conflicts of interest

n Conflicts of commitment

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Standards of Ethical Conduct in Science

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Honesty

n Scientists should not fabricate, falsify, or misrepresent data or results.

n They should be objective, unbiased, and truthful in all aspects of the research process.

n They should not let wishful thinking or prior belief influence their judgment.

n “Belief is the wound that knowledge heals…” (Ursula Leguin, The Telling)

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Carefulness, Diligencen Scientists should minimize errors as much as possible:

n experimental errorsn methodological or systematic errorsn human errors

n They should make faithful estimates of the errors that remain.

n They should present results that are faithful to the data.

n They should avoid self-deception, bias, and conflicts of interest.

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Openness, Fairness

n Scientists should share data, results, methods, ideas, techniques, and tools.

n They should allow other scientists to review their work.

n They should publish papers and make presentations.

n They should be forthright with advice to the public.

n They should be open to criticism and new ideas.

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Respect, Credit, Efficiency

n Scientists should treat colleagues with respect.

n Credit should be given to those who deserve it …

n … but not to those who do not deserve it.

n Scientists should use resources efficiently and responsibly.

n Scientists should always write the best papers they can.

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Educationn Scientists should teach each other what they have learned in their

research.

n Scientists should educate prospective scientists and ensure that they learn how to conduct good science.

n Scientists should teach non-science students so as to build a foundation for the public’s understanding of science.

n Scientists should educate and inform the public about science.

n Scientists should speak to the media about their work, but be careful to avoid releasing ill-formed conclusions or misconceptions.

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Social Responsibility

n Scientists should avoid causing harm to society.

n Scientists should attempt to produce social benefits.

n Scientists should be responsible for the consequences of their research.

n Scientists should inform the public of those consequences, as completely as they can.

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Freedom and opportunity

n Scientists should be free to conduct research on any problem, subject to the constraint of responsible use of available resources.

n They should be free to pursue new ideas and criticize old ones.

n They should not be unfairly denied the opportunity to use scientific resources.

n They should not be unfairly denied career advancement.

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Legality; Property; Subjects

n Scientists should obey the laws pertaining to their work.

n Scientists should respect private property.

n Scientists should not violate rights or dignities of experimental subjects.

n Scientists should treat human or animal subjects with appropriate care and respect.

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Examples & Case Studies

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ethics in science basic principles...n our parents (barnehage, school, church) taught us all we need...

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