1 T.Moan Seminar at The Faculty of Engineering Science and Technology On ” Ethics in research” Introduction by Torgeir Moan

2 T.Moan Background to the seminar series Faculty of Engineering Science and Technology action plan for research : - Introduction of mandatory subject for PhD students ---- fall semester Seminars in the spring of 2007: - How to be a good PhD supervisor? - Theory of science and research methods - Ethics in Research

3 T.Moan Ethics in research Aim -Present and discuss important ethical issues in engineering science and technology relevant to researchers and PhD students Agenda Time Topic and speaker 1315 Introduction, chairman, PhD committee 1330 Presentation by Senior researcher Svein Nordenson, Sintef IKT, Ethics’ ombudsman in Sintef 1400 Presentation by Ass.Prof., dr.art. Rune Nydal, Department of Philosophy 1445 Coffee 1500 Discussion 1545 End

4 T.Moan Introduction to the ethics seminar  Background  Law, ethics and moral  Ethics - in the society at large - in research in general - PhD research education (students and supervisors)  The speakers

5 T.Moan Background  increased focus on ethics in society  ”maintain” the society’s trust in (engineering) science – by ethical conduct - in view of cases of cheating, dishonesty L’Hospital : ” L'Analyse des Infiniment Petits pour l'Intelligence des Lignes Courbes ”, Actually: Now, it is believed that Johannes Bernoulli was paid by L’Hospital to write this first textbook on differential calculus. An example of unethical conduct. The approval of a doctoral thesis was withdrawn at this university some years after the degree was awarded, due to the following reason: -35 pages had been copied from an Australian thesis; without reference to the source

6 T.Moan Law, ethics and moral Laws & regulations Use other people’s (published or unpublished) results copyrights, IPR, patents, …. Ethics (according to the Main Committee for Research in Norway, 1979): systematic comprehension or adaption of moral principles, values and norms

7 T.Moan Ethical rules (according to the Univ.Council’s committee for IPR, 2003) -”interpretation of right and wrong which are not covered by law or regulations by a competent authority” Sanctions by breaking the rules: - expelled from research community - loss of trust - International guidelines, (medicine):e.g. ”Vancouver rules” - National research ethics committees: NEM, NENT, NESH, REK - NTNU committee ”10 focus points for PhD stud. and supervisors” Exemplify issues in a group of PhD students….

8 T.Moan Ethics in the society at large Engineering science contribute knowledge for technological development ( structures, machines… processes ….) with implications on - personnel (public) safety and health - the environment - Conflicts of interest SHE viz economy (Political issue) ”Whistle blower” Values - Global share of knowledge to develop a decent life - Human rights - Development of democracy - Peace, not war

9 T.Moan Individual researchers Quality: objectivity; handling uncertainty Prevent: - adjustment or selective use of data - fabricated data Quantify and communicate uncertainty Transparency Use of results from other researchers - fair use - use of references What is publishable? (compared to what has been published)? Co-authorship - for doing the work - honorary authorship? Peer review - Economic factors: Finacial support of research to universities in the future Compare the debate of BP’s Energy bioscience centre at UCB (US$ 500mill) - Cheating - Dishonesty - Carelessness

10 T.Moan Research education under supervision - Increasing cultural diversity among PhD students How much supervision? -”Intellectual Achievement Law”: - the sole author of a thesis has all IPR. - the contribution from supervisor should not be sufficient to make the supervisor coauthor of the thesis!! On the other hand: - Thesis based on papers and summary

11 T.Moan Reflections on ethical issues will be introduced in the early training of PhD students at IVT. But we need to do it in a balanced manner depending on how big the problem of - cheating - dishonesty - carelessness in research, is ?

12 T.Moan The speakers Senior researcher Svein Nordenson, SINTEF Ass. Prof., dr.art Rune Nydal, NTNU