Research Ethics
A Philosophical Guide to the Responsible Conduct of Research

A portable and imaginative aid to moral decision-making for students in all disciplines from social sciences to engineering.

Gary Comstock (Author)

9780521187084, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 3 January 2013

310 pages, 13 b/w illus. 7 tables
23.4 x 15.6 x 1.6 cm, 0.45 kg

“…Unique in several respects…it conveys an imperative for ethical thinking, decision-making, and moral action in research…it stimulates the moral imaginations of readers, and motivates a question-asking approach to research ethics..."

- Doody's Review Service

Education in the responsible conduct of research typically takes the form of online instructions about rules, regulations, and policies. Research Ethics takes a novel approach and emphasizes the art of philosophical decision-making. Part A introduces egoism and explains that it is in the individual's own interest to avoid misconduct, fabrication of data, plagiarism and bias. Part B explains contractualism and covers issues of authorship, peer review and responsible use of statistics. Part C introduces moral rights as the basis of informed consent, the use of humans in research, mentoring, intellectual property and conflicts of interests. Part D uses two-level utilitarianism to explore the possibilities and limits of the experimental use of animals, duties to the environment and future generations, and the social responsibilities of researchers. This book brings a fresh perspective to research ethics and will engage the moral imaginations of graduate students in all disciplines.

Introduction
Part A. Protect my Interests: 1. Report misconduct
2. Avoid plagiarism
3. Beware intuition
4. Justify decisions
Part B. Promote our Interests: 5. Articulate reasons
6. Write cooperatively
7. Protect manuscripts
8. Clarify statistics
Part C. Respect Strangers' Rights: 9. Inform subjects
10. Mentor inclusively
11. Recognize property
12. Reveal conflicts
Part D. Honor All Interests: 13. Treat humanely
14. Preserve environments
15. Cultivate responsibility
Conclusion.

Subject Areas: Medical ethics & professional conduct [MBDC], Medicine: general issues [MB], Ethical issues & debates [JFM]