Workshop Ethical Scrutiny in Undergraduate and Postgraduate Projects

1
WorkshopEthical Scrutiny in Undergraduate and
Postgraduate Projects

• Alastair Irons Northumbria University
• Roger Boyle University of Leeds

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Introduction

• Ethical scrutiny of university research is patchy
  despite the fact that more institutions than ever
  have committees to vet projects, Nuffield
  Foundation 2005. One of the criteria in the
  Nuffield Foundation research was whether student
  research is scrutinised
• Accepted that ethical scrutiny takes place on
  academic research and for PhDs,
• but what about p/g and u/g ?
• There is potential for Computing projects, at any
  level, to cause harm
• to subjects / clients
• through the development of inappropriate products
  or artefacts
• through potential misuse of a product or artefact
• What will the consequences be if something goes
  drastically wrong?
• For School
• For University
• For Computing as a discipline

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Objectives of Workshop

• To consider appropriate ethical scrutiny in the
  undertaking of undergraduate and taught post
  graduate Computing projects through raising
  awareness of the issue.
• To optimise the educational benefits for students
  of us protecting ourselves ?
• To get a feel from the community about the
  seriousness or potential seriousness of the
  issue(s)

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Task

• How do you address computer ethics currently in
  your u/g and p/g programmes ?
• Specific module(s) or embedded throughout?
• Address BCS LSEP expectations?
• How and where do students apply computer ethics?
• Do you cover research ethics?
• Are ethical issues covered in computing projects
  at
• Terms of reference
• Ethical statement (is this assessed ?)
• Included in project report ?

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Activity to date

• On-line questionnaire via HE Academy subject
  specialism
• Paper presented at CPHC Learning Development
  Group (early 2005)
• Discussion question via CPHC e-mail list
• Paper at CPHC Conference Easter 2005
• Discussions with CETL at University of Leeds
  IDEAS - Inter-disciplinary ethics across subject
  disciplines

Conclusions its a live issue. But
underdeveloped.
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Task

• Read hypothetical scenarios (handout)
• How would you react if this happened to
• A student under your care?
• A student you were supervising?
• A student in your School?
• A student in your university or college?
• A student in a department in which you were
  External Examiner?

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Focus of Concern

• Current position appears to be a focus on ethical
  concerns in project activity and project output,
  for example
• Obtaining primary data from populations / clients
  who include under-18s and / or vulnerable adults
• Development of Computing artefacts which raise
  ethical concerns, eg virus generators or tools
  for penetration testing
• Research in sensitive Computing subjects such as
  Health Informatics, Computer Forensics,
  dataveillance, cookie generation, viruses,
  hacking, security, graphics, computer games

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Rise in Ethical Considerations and Concerns

• Growth in University and School committees
  considering ethical issues
• Growth in the breadth and choice of Computing
  projects
• Growth in the potential for Computing projects to
  cause harm either to subjects or through
  inappropriate development or misuse of product
• Ethical considerations, including project ethics,
  relate to BCS issues of professional, social,
  ethical and legal coverage. Other PSBs are going
  this route too.
• Primary data gathering, not confined to social
  sciences, Computing projects may need to consider
  concept such as
• informed consent,
• anonymity,
• confidentiality,
• rights of the subject

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Task - Responsibilities

• Do you think that ethical responsibility should
  be the concern of the
• Student
• Project supervisor
• Project tutor (looks after the project process)
• Ethics Committee
• Somebody else
• Which projects should be scrutinised?
• All
• Sample
• Specific criteria
• By exception
• None
• Is there a difference between academic staff
  proposed project and student proposed project?

10
Framework Development

• Plan is to develop a framework in conjunction
  with CPHC Learning Development Group,
  professional bodies in computing (BCS, IEE, ACM),
  IDEAS CETL
• Framework to provide guidelines on ethical
• Responsibilities institutions, schools, staff,
  students
• Scrutiny terms of reference, ethics committee
• Inclusion in student project
• Assessment

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Subjects for Consideration in Framework

• Potential for harm ?
• Subject, student, academic, institution
• Potential for misuse ?
• Product or artefact
• Potential to break law ?
• Product or artefact
• Primary data to be collected ?
• Consent required ?
• Need for authorisation by ethics committee

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Pragmatics and Responsibilities

• There needs to be a quick and workable filter
  to ensure ethical appropriateness
• Balanced with the need to ensure all interests
  are protected
• Subject / client
• Student
• Supervisor
• School / Department
• University

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Possible Actions

• Do nothing maintain status quo
• Check projects
• Select a sample for ethical check
• Select specific projects dependent on
• subject matter
• contact with public
• Have an ethical reviewer in all Schools ?
• Select by exception
• Check all
• Potential to block or stop a project

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Task

• Are you concerned about the potential ethical
  problems in u/g and p/g projects?
• If so, why? If not, why not ?
• What issues do you think should be included in an
  ethical filter?
• How do you think subjects, students, academics
  and institutions should be protected?
• Would you consider making use of a voluntary
  framework for scrutiny? If not, whose endorsement
  might change your view?