Towards a Code of Conduct for

Scientists and Non-Scientists?

FD12A The ethics of Science and Technology

UWI
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 BIOETHICS AND ETHICS OF SCIENCE AT UNESCO
1970 UNESCO first reflections on ethics of life sciences
1974 Recommendation on the Status of Scientific Researchers
1993 Start bioethics program with creation of International Bioethics
Committee (IBC), composed of 36 independent experts designated by
DG
1998 Creation of Intergovernmental Bioethics Committee (IGBC)
composed of representatives of 36 Member States elected by the
General Conference
1998 Expansion of program to ethics of scientific knowledge and
technology. Creation of the World Commission on the Ethics of
Scientific Knowledge and Technology (COMEST), composed of 18
independent experts, designated by DG and selected in
consultation with Nat Coms and Academies of Sciences
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 The World Commission on the Ethics of
Scientific Knowledge and Technology

What is the task of COMEST?

To formulate, on a scientific basis, ethical principles that can

shed light on the various choices and impacts occasioned by
new advancements in scientific and technological fields, thus
fostering a constructive ethical dialogue on the values at stake.

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 For the biennium 2006-2007, the action of COMEST is
centered on new topics that have been identified as core
issues:
Environmental ethics
Feasibility study on an ethical code of conduct for
scientists
Ethics of new and emerging technology (nanotechnology)
Ethics teaching

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 Changing context of science
Hostile and dual use
Political pressures

Economic pressures

Pressure to publish

Scientific misconduct
Nov.2005: South Korea:
Professor Woo Suk Hwang
and stem cell research

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 Changing context of science
Hostile and dual use
Political pressures
Pressure to publish
Economic pressures
Scientific misconduct
New reflection on the basic values of science
January 2006: Indian Science Congress,
Swiss Nobel laureate Richard Ernst:
- there is a loss of the accepted ethical foundations
of research
- It is insufficient to simply train specialists in science
and technology; ethics and social responsibilities
must be considered as important as scientific skills,
6 knowledge and understanding
 BASIC VALUES OF SCIENCE

autonomous values heteronomous values

values intrinsic Personal

to science interests/values
Science = pursuit
of truth
Political
Robert K. Merton (1957): interest/values
1. Organized scepticism
2. Independence Economic
3. Universalism
interests/values
4. Communalism
Military
Science = knowledge interests/values
production
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 Ethics is a system of public, general rules for guiding human conduct

Scientific ethics is an institutional code of conduct that relects the chief concerns
and goals of science

David Resnick
1. Scientific honesty: do not commit scientific fraud eg do not fabricate, fudge, trim,
cook, destroy or misrepresent data
2. Carefulness: strive to avoid careless errors or sloppiness in all aspects of scientific
work.
3. Intellectual freedom: scientists should be allowed to pursue new ideas and criticize
old ones. They should be free to conduct research they find interesting.
4. Openness: i.e. share data, results, methods, theories, equipment, and so on. Allow
people to see your work, be open to criticism.
5. The principle of credit: Do not plagiarize the work of other scientists, give credit
where credit is due (but not where it is not due).
6. The principle of public responsibility: Report research in the public media when a) the
research has an important and direct bearing on human happiness and b) the
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research has been sufficiently validated by scientific peers.
USDA code of conduct
I dedicate myself to the pursuit, promotion, and advancement of scientific knowledge.

I will conduct, manage, judge, and report scientific research honestly, thoroughly, and
without conflict of interest.

I will prevent abuse of all resources entrusted to me and endeavor to treat human and
animal subjects humanely, following established guidelines where they are available.

I will not willfully hinder the research of others nor engage in dishonesty, fraud, deceit,
misrepresentation, or other professional misconduct.

I will welcome constructive criticism of my personal scientific research and offer the
same to my colleagues in a manner that fosters mutual respect amid objective scientific
debate.
USDA code of conduct
I will recognize past and present contributors to my research and will neither accept
nor assume unauthorized and/or unwarranted credit for another's accomplishments.
I will claim authorship for a research product only if I am willing to be held
responsible for both the interpretation of the data and the conclusions as presented.
I will claim authorship for a research product only if I have made a major intellectual
contribution (as part of conception, design, data collection, data analysis, or
interpretation) and made significant contributions to its preparation (write, review, or
edit).
I will not publish or use original ideas, research data, or unpublished findings of
others without written approval.
I will refrain from duplicative publication of the same research findings as original.
I will show appropriate diligence toward preserving and maintaining resources, such
as data records, that are entrusted to me.
 The call for a new reflection on international level

Nov. 1974 UNESCO 18th General Conference adopts the

Recommendation on the Status of Scientific Researchers calling for:
Scientific researchers highly responsible attitude

Encouragement of spirit of community service

Development of educational techniques for awakening and

stimulating ethical personal qualities and habits of mind

Reinforcement of scientific researchers sense of vocation

Definition of scientific researchers ethical responsibilities

and rights

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 ICSU Standards for Ethics and Responsibility in Science
(2001)

ICSU research

takes into account 115 ethical standards for science

(39 international and 23 national)

shows an exponential increase of the number of standards

over the years (6 before 1970; more than 40 during last 5
years)

The central definitions that delineate misconduct in

science include fabrication, falsification, and
plagiarism.
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 ICSU Standards for Ethics and Responsibility in Science
(2001)

Material is classified into 15 categories

oath, pledge, code, guidelines, declaration, principles,

appeal, recommendation, manifesto, statement,

declaration, resolution, convention, charter, law, others
Five cluster groups
pledge, guidelines, statement, law, others

Out of 115 ethical standards, only 6 are oaths and pledges, as

an oath is perceived to be of a more binding nature than mere
guidelines

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 ICSU Standards for Ethics and Responsibility in Science
(2001)
Core traits or virtues related to individual behaviour:

Honesty | Openness | Fairness

Truthfulness | Accuracy | Conscientiousness
Respect | Collaboration | Loyalty

Core traits or virtues related to the scientific community:

Social responsibility | Environmental responsibility

Sustainable development | Socio-economic development
Social welfare | Socio economic equity
Gender equality | Scientific freedom
Peace | Democratic development
Human rights

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An example of an ethical dilemma
A medical student was on a research rotation.
She would be working with Dr. Z, who had given her the
project of writing a paper for which he had designed the
protocol, collected the data, and compiled the results.
The student was to do a literature search and write the first
draft of the manuscript.
For this she would become first author on the final publication.

IS THIS REASONABLE?
IS GIFTAUTHORSHIP ACCEPTABLE?
HOW ABOUT THIS?
Professor R also gave a gift authorship without a significant
research contribution.

However, he had a reason to give authorship to his student. The

student had worked for several years on a project suggested by
him and the project had yielded no publishable data.
Believing that he had a duty to the student to ensure a publication,
Professor R had given the student some data that he himself had
collected and told the student to write it up.
The student had worked hard, he said, albeit on another project,
and the student would do the writing. Thus he justified giving him
authorship.
 Ethics for non-scientists

??

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 Ethics for non-scientists

Be involved
Keep in touch with new scientific and technological
developments
Demand ethics in S&T
Find a way to voice your agreement or disagreement
with such developments
Responsibility of governments to be involved in the
S&T process
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