School of somethingFACULTY OF OTHER

GRADUATE SCHOOLFACULTY OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

ETHICS WORKSHOPS FOR POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS IN BIOSCIENCE

Michelle Peckham

Ethics in the News

The government's chief scientist is expected to set out a universal code of ethics for scientists.

Professor Sir David King will outline seven principles aimed at building trust between scientists and society at the Annual Science Festival in York.

Among them will be steps to prevent corrupt practices and ways to minimise the effects research has on people, animals and the environment.

Sir David hopes they will be adopted by universities and industries worldwide.

The Code

Act with skill and care in all scientific work.

Maintain up to date skills and assist their development in others.

Take steps to prevent corrupt practices and professional misconduct.

Declare conflicts of interest.

Be alert to the ways in which research derives from and affects the work of other people, and respect the rights and reputations of others.

Ensure that your work is lawful and justified.

Minimise and justify any adverse effect your work may have on people, animals and the natural environment.

Seek to discuss the issues that science raises for society.

Listen to the aspirations and concerns of others.

Do not knowingly mislead, or allow others to be misled, about scientific matters.

Present and review scientific evidence, theory or interpretation honestly and accurately.

2 workshops for PhD students

1 hour workshop for 1st year students: Values in Research

2 hour workshop for 2nd year students: Avoiding Misconduct in Biosciences Research

1 hour workshop for 1st year students: Values in Research

Ethical Issues concerning

Ownership of Research

A short Introductory workshop for 1st year PhD students

Weetwood Hall, Leeds

(MP, Jamie Dow, Chris Megone)

Session Objectives

Articulate some of the general ethical values and principles that should be appealed to in considering ethical issues concerning the ownership of research. Identify the sorts of situations in which such issues can arise and some of the difficulties that can arise in resolving ‘borderline’ cases concerning misconduct. Analyse some important borderline cases of such issues in participants’ own areas of research. Develop strategies with colleagues for handling potentially difficult cases of ownership.

3 parts: initial discussion in pairs - do they have any issues to raise?

Brainstorming session in groups,

Discussion of a Case Study

3 parts: initial discussion in pairs - do they have any issues to raise?

Brainstorming session in groups,

Discussion of a Case Study

Brainstorming session

1. Is it appropriate to treat the knowledge acquired in the course of research as private property?

a) How good is the claim to ownership of the researcher?

b) How good is the claim to ownership of the sponsor?

c) How good is the claim to ownership of the University?

2. If research is owned by any of these parties, is that compatible with the researcher maintaining the values of (scientific) scholarship?

3. Is it necessary, from an ethical point of view, to distinguish as between the ownership of the results of research and the ownership of data acquired within the process of research?

4. Do the responsibilities and commitments of academic scientists working under a grant from a commercial enterprise differ from those of scientists employed in that company’s laboratories?

Jessica Wall Case

A student joins a lab, and works on two projects to begin with. Then focuses on one of them, and carries on with this, helping to write a grant, after her PhD. After a few years, she gets a job as a lecturer, and needs to apply for her own funding. She decides to pick up the old project. She comes into the lab and picks up her notebooks to take them away. Her boss stops her and says they belong to the lab - she can’t take them. A fellow postdoc tells her to photocopy them behind her bosses back.

What should she do?

What are the rules for other reagents etc she has generated?

2 hour workshop for 2nd year PhD students

Focus on plagiarism/ data management issues

Avoiding Misconduct in Biosciences Research

MP, Graeme Gooday and Chris Megone

Objectives

Discuss general ethical values and what distinguishes responsible research conduct from misconduct, especially in relation to plagiarism/data management issues.

Identify when misconduct can arise and how it can be difficult to resolve ‘borderline’ cases.

Analyse some important borderline cases of such misconduct in your own area of research.

Develop strategies with colleagues for handling potential cases of misconduct.

1. Introduction: & short discussion in pairs - any specific issues?

2. Small groups (5-6 students) brainstorming on key ethical values/principles for research in Biosciences (data management and plagiarism.

3. Case study 1: The Marty Brown Case

4. Case study 2: The Charlie West Case

5. Case study 3: The Sam Smith Case

6. Review of any issues that they now see as arising in their own work

7. Summary of the issues raised in the session

Format of Session

Marty Brown Case

Transgenic Tobacco Plant to express a gene that will help people with haemophilia.

Higher level of expression in some plants, but plants are yellow. Is this due to the expression, or is it because they are close to the door and temperatures vary more?

Should he include the data from these plants in his paper or not?

Charlie West Case

Postdoc writing his first grant for a job he is just about to start, juggling being a new parent, trying to finish off work in the laboratory for his old boss, and the loss of time in going for job interviews in the past few months. His grant needs to be in, in 3 days time, but he hasn’t finished the introduction. However, he has a copy of an old grant that he helped to review on a very similar topic. It was a model proposal, well written, and scientifically sound. He decides to use the introduction of this grant in his new grant as it will provide 90% of the information he needs. He’ll write the remaining 10% himself, and this will help him get the grant in on time.

Should he use the material this way or not?

The Sam Smith Case

Postdoc (Sam) writes a paper on her research. Two senior colleagues were involved in getting funding for the work, but have very little involvement in the research. However, they intimate that they should be co-authors of any papers published.

At the proof stage, Sam has to sign a declaration stating that the all the authors have checked the paper for possible errors or omissions, but the senior authors have not done so. What should she do?

Sign and send off the proofs?

Remove the authors?

Who should be author on a paper?

Overall comments on Sessions

Ethics sessions are important to raise the awareness of students to difficult issues and how they might deal with them.

Science students are very pragmatic - want clear cut answers, and do not feel the need for detailed discussion.

Need to develop more CASE studies that will draw the students out and develop discussion.

Works well to have an ethicist and biologist running the session together.