Research Ethics

1
x
IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
PC-283 (September 1985)
2
Research Ethics
3
Ethical problems in engineering often relate to
harm or potential harm.

• What things may be harmed?
• Who is harmed by research misconduct?
• Physicist Jan Hendrik Schöns casehttp//www.chas
  s.ncsu.edu/langure/Schon.htm
• Civil Engineer John Sheilshttp//www.construction
  weblinks.com/Resources/Industry_Reports__Newslette
  rs/Nov_14_2005/misl.html
• Other examples from other disciplines

4
What is research ethics?

• Ethical conduct of these activities
• Gathering data
• Selecting and presenting data
• Publishing research results in any form

5
Different ethical theories may lead to different
research behaviors.
6
How would the four theories justify NSPE canons,
rules, obligations?

• Egoism (persons best interests)
• Virtue (groups rules)
• Utilitarianism (satisfaction of aggregate
  interests)
• Moral Rights (never harm an individual)