1. Ethics
Standards of Behavior

2. What is Ethics? Is ethics the same as morals?
Moral rules differ b/w societies & over time
Conflicts arise b/w moral rules, so how do we behave?
Ethics is not equivalent with: feelings, religion, law, cultural norms 1
“Ethics is the voluntary good behavior that defines civilization… Ethics is about what the law leaves out” 2 1.
2. CUR Quart, p 105, 2002ht

3. Considering Ethical Issues
Utilitarian: do the least harm
Rights: protect & respect moral rights of those impacted
Fairness/Justice: equals should be treated equally
Common Good: welfare of all in community
Virtue: such as honesty, tolerance, etc.
“What kind of kind of person do I want to be?
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Deontological ethics: right vs. wrong actions rather than evaluating consequences
Consequentialism: right vs. wrong consequences, acts judged by consequences
Virtue ethics: based on character and habits of person acting

4. Ethics in Science
“The most important personal characteristic of a scientist is not intelligence. Neither is it creativity or determination. The most important characteristic of a scientist is integrity.”
Lee, Coursebook p108

5. Scientific Commandments
Be honest!
Never manipulate data!
Be precise!
Be fair with regard to priority and ideas!
Be without bias with regard to the data and ideas of your rival!
Do not make compromises in trying to solve a problem!
Hans Mohr, 1979, See Lee, Coursebook p108

6. Ethical Issues in Science
Scientific Misconduct: appropriate use of scientific data
Responsibilities to inform/learn about safety
Intellectual honesty & ownership: rights and permissions
Responsibility to subjects
Data Sources
Science, Technology & Society

7. To consider… Ethical Scenarios: see handout Plagiarism: samples
Optional Articles (see website):
Defending Against Plagiarism
Mislabeled Microbes & Retractions
Mea Culpa Retractions
Office of Research Integrity & Case Summaries (see website)

8. Quiz on Searching Lit & Ethics
Questions?