Introduction to Research Ethics

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Introduction to Research Ethics

• Session 5,
• Consequences of Research and Ethical codes
• Elin Palm

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Today

• Scientists responsibility for the consequences
  of research
• Ethical codes
• Exam
• Evaluation

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Terminology Morality and ethics

• Morality An individuals set of immediate
  intuitions concerning what is right and what is
  wrong.
• Ethics A set of carefully thought-out principles
  governing or influencing behaviour.

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What is an ethical problem?

• Practical problems
• Lack of knowledge or resources
• Ethical problems arise in situations in which our
  actions are likely to affect others
• Uncertainty about which of several possible
  actions (including the possibility of not acting
  at all) is the right one.
• None of the possible actions seems right (ethical
  dilemma)

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3 kinds of research ethical problems

• Problems concerning good scientific practice
  and researchers relations and responsibilities
  toward each other
• Problems concerning research subjects (humans or
  animals)
• Problems concerning the external consequences of
  scientific research (what will research results
  be used for..?)

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The researcher in society

• Scientists have a responsibility to serve
  society
• People who produce knowledge should be
  responsible for its consequences.
• (Resnik 1998 p. 147)
• Science versus knowledge

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Research and industry

• Industry is driven by profit
• Possibility of conflict with research ethical
  principles of openness, honesty, freedom of
  research, ?

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Science and the public

• Researchers have a responsibility to communicate
  their results to the public.
• Tredje uppgiften
•   Högskolorna skall också samverka med det
  omgivande samhället och informera om sin
  verksamhet.
• Högskolelagen (SFS 19961392)

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Ethical codes

• Ethical codes are specialized and specific codes
  of ethics, directed at a specific profession or a
  specific group of people.

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An ethical code The KTH ethics policy

• What is the purpose of the policy? Why does KTH
  have such a policy?
• Does the policy fulfill its purpose?
• How useful do you find this policy? Will it be of
  help when considering cases of the kind we have
  discussed in this course?

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What is the purpose of an ethical code?

• Action guidance
• To resolve conflicts
• To increase awareness of ethical problems
• To create respect for the profession
• Send a signal...

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KTH Ethics Policy

• KTH basic values
• KTH operations rest on a foundation of ethics
  based on human rights, democracy and free, open
  debate. The conviction that technical/scientific
  research and education are able to contribute to
  a better life situation for individual people,
  sustainable development and the improved
  functioning of society plays a vital role for all
  KTH activities. KTH works to implement free
  exchange of information and for national and
  international cooperation. Gender equality and
  repudiation of all forms of discrimination are a
  self-evident part of the KTH value platform.

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Research at KTH should

• aim at maintaining high levels of scientific
  quality and achieving international recognition.
• aim at systematically and critically searching
  for new knowledge. Knowledge that is intended to
  increase understanding of the world and knowledge
  that has relevance for social development.
• whenever suitable for the task at hand, carry
  out activities in cooperation with the rest of
  society, including companies working with
  technical development.

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Research at KTH should

• always be carried out in such a manner so as not
  to expose the integrity of the research or the
  researcher to risk of any kind. Any connections
  to commercial or other interests, which may cause
  a conflict of interest or credibility, must be
  openly reported. Expert advice, participation in
  debates, authorship of popular scientific works
  etc. which is connected to the researcher and
  teacher roles must be characterised by
  objectivity and integrity.

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Research at KTH should

• be carried out without tolerance for any form of
  plagiarism, exertion of undue influence or other
  impropriety. This includes providing proper and
  correct references and stating any indebtedness
  to the work and efforts of others.
• be carried out with the aim of publication in
  scientific journals and books in both traditional
  and IT-based publishing forms.
• be published or reported in such a manner that
  the efforts of colleagues are recognised to a
  degree equivalent to their scientific
  contributions. Co-authorship means joint
  responsibility for the material published.
• when other people are involved, be carried out
  with respect for the individuals autonomy and
  personal integrity.
• when animals are involved, include a thorough
  animal experiment ethical review.

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• Doctoral studies at KTH should
• be designed so that students and teachers
  together work to ensure the student achieves
  established educational goals. Both parties must
  be committed to the attainment of these goals.
• be led by a supervisor (or a supervisory group)
  with good levels of competence within the
  relevant research field and who are sensitive to
  the interests and views of the doctoral student
  within the framework of any project goals.
• be supervised taking into consideration the
  doctoral students relationship of dependence as
  concerns his/her supervisor.
• be characterised by mutual respect between the
  doctoral student and supervisor.
• lead to the doctoral student developing his/her
  independence and, after graduation, possessing
  the capacity to carry out research of good
  scientific quality.
• be carried out with zero tolerance of all forms
  of partiality, plagiarism, prohibited exertion of
  influence or pressure or other impropriety during
  teaching and examinations.
• ensure that the doctoral student, after
  graduation, is well versed in the ethical
  problems relevant to his/her own research field.

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THE DECLARATION OF HELSINKI (1)

• Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving
  Human Subjects
• Adopted 1964 by World Medical Association, last
  amendment 2004
• A. Introduction (extracts)
• 4 Medical progress is based on research which
  ultimately must rest in part on experimentation
  involving human subjects.
• 5 In medical research on human subjects,
  considerations related to the well-being of the
  human subject should take precedence over the
  interests of science and society.
• 7 In current medical practice and in medical
  research, most prophylactic, diagnostic and
  therapeutic procedures involve risks and burdens.
  

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THE DECLARATION OF HELSINKI (2)

• B BASIC PRINCIPLES FOR ALL MEDICAL RESEARCH
  (extracts)
• 10 It is the duty of the physician in medical
  research to protect the life, health, privacy,
  and dignity of the human subject.
• 18 Medical research involving human subjects
  should only be conducted if the importance of the
  objective outweighs the inherent risks and
  burdens to the subject. This is especially
  important when the human subjects are healthy
  volunteers.
• 19 Medical research is only justified if there is
  a reasonable likelihood that the populations in
  which the research is carried out stand to
  benefit from the results of the research.
• 20 The subjects must be volunteers and informed
  participants in the research project.

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Minimal requirements for ethical deliberation

• Serious consideration of the issue
• Open-minded discussion
• Willingness to give reasons for one's views
• Consistency
• Fairness

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Summing up

• Many of the recommendations and advices in the
  course book may seem fairly straightforward
• And, there are laws and policys to regulate
  scientific conduct
• Nevertheless, research ethical problems occur and
  researchers sometimes behave unethically.
• This course does not provide precise answers,
  rather it serves to stimulate reflection on
  ethically problematic matters.

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Research ethics ressources

• General resources
• Codex www.codex.vr.se (the Swedish Research
  Council's gateway to research ethics guidelines
  for many areas of science)
• Resnik, David B. The ethics of science an
  introduction. Routledge, 1998. (A general
  introduction to research ethics available at
  the KTH library).
• Whitbeck, Caroline. Ethics in Engineering
  Practice and Research. Cambridge University
  Press. (Available at the KTH library)
• Vad är god forskningssed? Rapport från
  Vetenskapsrådet, 2005.
• (In Swedish. Available at http//www.du.se/uploa
  d/5139/Vad20är20god20forskningssed5B25D.pdf
  )
• Issues related to publication
• Wager, Elizabeth How to survive peer review. BMJ
  Publishing Group, 2005. (Available as e-book from
  E-brary via KTH library)

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The exam

• Exams will be assessed according to how well they
  
• describe the ethical problem,
• draw in relevant ethical principles,
• point out relevant empirical issues, including
  how empirical facts may affect the ethical
  assessment of the case,
• provide a nuanced discussion and solution of the
  ethical problem.

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The exam

• 1 point per achieved criterion (1/2 points may be
  given per attempts that go some way but that are
  not completely satisfactory)
• Maximum 22 points. To pass, 11 points are
  required.
• Graduate students Pass/fail
• Undergarduate A-F scale.

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Aims of the course

• After completing this course, students should be
  able to identify and describe common research
  ethical problems, and analyze the problems taking
  relevant empirical factors into account.
  Moreover, students should be able to suggest
  possible solutions to the problems and to justify
  the chosen solution by means of basic research
  ethical principles.

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Thank you!

• Questions?