TheOpenSeminar

in Research Ethics

Gary Comstock, Ph.D.

Professor of Philosophy

Editor-in-chief, OpenSeminar in Research Ethics

6 CHALLENGES for doctoral universities

1. Scholarly communities

2. Humanities research

3. Inter-institutional collaborations

4. Human & dollar resources

5. Interdisciplinary conversations

6. Discipline-specific discussions of social responsibilities

6 CHALLENGES OpenSeminar in Research Ethics’ ANSWER

1. Scholarly community

2. Humanities research

3. Inter-institutional collaboration

4. Human & dollar resources

5. Interdisciplinary conversations

6. Discipline specific social duties

OpenSeminar.org

Narratives & moral philosophy

Welcome & empower students

Self-guided online course

Active learning in large lectures

Small departmental break-outs

Objectives for this sessionObjectives for this session

Assignment

A. The problem:

Challenges to ethical decision-making

B. Two responses

C. A decision-making procedure

Objectives for this sessionObjectives for this session

A. The problem

1. A history of abuse2. A culture of cheating3. A technical conception of education 4. Apathy

B. Two responses

1. Rules2. Communities

US Public Health Service syphilis study, Tuskegee, AL

A history of abuse, 1932 – 1974, US

Federal offenses: research misconduct

Fabrication -- making up data or results and recording or reporting them.

Falsification -- manipulating research materials or research subjects, equipment, or processes, or changing, or omitting data or results, such that the research is not accurately represented in the research record.

Plagiarism -- appropriating and using as one’s own the documented ideas, processes, results, or words of another without giving appropriate credit

FEDERAL POLICY ON RESEARCH MISCONDUCT http://www.ostp.gov/html/001207_3.html

How common?Graduate students:

Business 56%

Engineering 54%

Physical sciences 50%

Medical and health-care 49%

Law 45%

Social science and humanities 39%

- Donald McCabe, Center for Academic Integrity, Duke U.

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyid=2006-09-21T120800Z_01_N20379527_RTRUKOC_0_US-LIFE-CHEATING.xml&src=rss

““One case can One case can cost a million cost a million

dollars.”dollars.”

Matt Ronning, Director

Sponsored Programs

““Less than 1% Less than 1% reported?” reported?”

Paul Cousins, Director Paul Cousins, Director Office of Student Office of Student ConductConduct

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

1998 2000 2002Inst

itutio

ns

Re

por

ting

Mis

con

duct

1999 2001 2003

ORI Reported Misconduct Activity

.

44% of faculty say they have ignored cheating.

52% have never reported cheating to anyone else.

Donald McCabe, Sociology, Rutgers and Center for Academic Integrity, Duke 75,000 students; 125 institutions; 2 decades; self-reported data using paper and now online survey; 2001-02 datawww.lib.washington.edu/about/events/academic/Pres_2-24.ppt

More hot spots

Authorship

Who is entitled to be an author?

Who decides?

From American Scientist, Sept-Oct 2004

“I didn’t exactly write the article, but …

well, I didn’t exactly do the research, either.”

More hot spots

Mentoring

What kinds of relationships are appropriate between mentor and mentee?

What are my duties as a mentor?

What are my duties as a mentee?

As a lab manager, how do I handle differences in work ethics?

How and when do I blow the whistle on a supervisor?

CREDIT: COURTESY OF MARY ALLEN

Objectives for this sessionObjectives for this sessionA. Discuss five challenges to teaching ethical decision

making

1. Academic and research misconduct2. Culture of cheating3. Technical conception of education 4. Apathy5. No new resources

B. Discuss two model responses

1. NIH2. NSF

1. “In … your engineering education … have you ever gotten [the] message … there is more to being a good engineering professional … than being a state-of-the-art technical expert ?”

Prof. Robert McGinn 3-yr survey of Stanford engineering students, N = 700

2. “Have any of your engineering instructors ever conveyed anything specific to you about what is involved in being ethically … responsible …?”

http://ethics.stanford.edu/engin_ethics/tutorials.htm

ApathyWho cares?

“What's important is getting the job done. How you get it done is less important.”

“All I'm doing is emulating the behavior I'll need when I get out in the real world.”

- Donald McCabe http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyid=2006-09-

21T120800Z_01_N20379527_RTRUKOC_0_US-LIFE-CHEATING.xml&src=rss

Objectives for this sessionObjectives for this session

A. The Problem

1. A history of abuse2. A culture of cheating3. Technical conception of education 4. Apathy

B. Two responses

1. Rule following2. Community formation

- The Belmont Report, 1979

Rules to

protect human subjects

1. Respect for persons1. Respect for persons

2. Beneficence2. Beneficence

3. Justice3. Justice

Rules to protect human subjects

National Commission for the Protection of Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research (1974-78)

Charge recommend to DHEW guidelines to protect the recommend to DHEW guidelines to protect the

rights and welfare of human subjects of rights and welfare of human subjects of research, particularly those with disabilities and research, particularly those with disabilities and develop principles to govern the ethical develop principles to govern the ethical conduct of researchconduct of research

Reports Fetal research, children, prisoners, Fetal research, children, prisoners,

institutionalized mentally infirm, psychosurgery, institutionalized mentally infirm, psychosurgery, IRBs, IRBs, The Belmont ReportThe Belmont Report

- Improved Standards for Laboratory

Animals Act, 1985 IACUC

Rules to

protect

animal

subjects

1. Reduce1. Reduce

2. Refine2. Refine

3. Replace3. Replace

Rules, rules, rules

Rules

Strengths

a) Clear guidance on how to behaveb) Protection for subjects used in research (IRB, etc.)c) Penalties for non-compliance

Weaknesses

a) Junior researchers supported and empowered?b) Emotions and self-interests engaged?c) Generalizable method for ethical decision making?d) Topics coherent?

How many rules are there?

http://onlineethics.org/reseth/phspolicy.html#corins

Weaknesses

Some rules not clear.

Some rules contradictory.

For many cases there is no rule.

Is rule-following the behavior we seek?

Objectives for this sessionObjectives for this session

B. Two responses

1. Rule following

2. Community formation

Where do students learn ethical decision making?

1. Mentor, advisor2. Fellow graduate students3. Family4. Friends not in graduate school5. Other faculty6. Religious beliefs7. Discussions in courses, labs, seminars8. Professional organizations9. Courses dealing with ethical issues

- J. P. Swazey, K. S. Louis, and M. S. Anderson, “The ethical training of graduate students requires serious and continuing attention,” Chronicle of Higher Education 9 (March 1994):B1–2; J. P. Swazey, “Ethical problems in academic research,” American Scientist 81(Nov./Dec. 1993):542–53.

What is the most effective way to teach it?

1. Interaction with faculty in research2. Informal discussion of ethical problems as they occur3. Discussion of ethics in regular courses4. Brown bag sessions5. Special courses devoted to ethics6. Department / university policies7. Codes of ethics of professional organizations

- J. P. Swazey, K. S. Louis, and M. S. Anderson, “The ethical training of graduate students requires serious and continuing attention,” Chronicle of Higher Education 9 (March 1994):B1–2; J. P. Swazey, “Ethical problems in academic research,” American Scientist 81(Nov./Dec. 1993):542–53.

Courseoverview

The OpenSeminar in Research Ethics

Sponsored by NSF

A method for making ethical decisions

START HERE: What are the facts? Which of my interests might be harmed? What courses of action are open to me?

2. Professional interestsWhat course of action is best for us in the long run? How do we respect the implicit and explicit promises made to each other in the group?

1. Self interests What course of action is best for me in the long run?

3. All interests How do we maximize theratio of all interests satisfied over unsatisfied?

13

2

Three steps:

1. MY interests: I ought always to do what is in my long-term, categorical interests.

2. OUR interests: I ought always to do what is inmy profession’s best interests. Follow the rules:

Respect persons and property; be honest; treat others fairly.

3. ALL interests: I ought always to do what is in the best interests of all morally considerable beings. Try

to make the world a better place: Maximize the ratio of good over evil.

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“You know it’s not the honors and prizes and the fancy outsides of life which ultimately nourish our souls.”

“It’s the knowing that we can be trusted,that we never have to fear the truth,that the bedrock of our very being is good stuff.”

- Fred Rogers

Please join us!

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