There is a growing recognition among scientists, government officials,
and research institutions that ethical conduct is an important part of re-
search. Ethical conduct is important in research because science is a co-
operative enterprise that takes place within a social context. Modern sci-
ence can be viewed as a profession akin to medicine or law. Standards of
conduct in research play a key role in advancing the goals of science; in
promoting cooperation, collaboration, and trust among researchers; and
in attaining the public's trust and support. This chapter discusses the im-
portance of ethics in research, the nature of scientific professionalism,
some important concepts, theories, and principles of ethics, a method for
ethical decision making, some principles for ethical conduct in research,
and the value of ethics education and ethical leadership in research.

Ethical problems, issues, and dilemmas occur for most people on a daily basis.
Whenever we ask the question, “What should I do?” there is a good chance
that an ethical issue or concern lurks in the background. In everyday life, such
questions frequently arise as we make choices among different interests and
commitments, such as career, family, community, church, society, prestige,
and money. Professional researchers—scientists, engineers, and scholars—
also frequently face ethical problems, issues, and dilemmas. Consider the fol-
lowing cases:

You are graduate student in pharmacology at a large university working under
the direction of a senior researcher. You notice, on reading a paper on the
pharmacology of a new serotonin reuptake inhibitor, which your senior direc-
tor published in a top journal in your field, that there is a problem with the di-
agrams in the paper. You cannot seem to reconcile the diagrams with the pub-
lished data. You approach her with this problem and she shrugs it off, saying
that you do not understand the research well enough to make a judgment
about it. What should you do?

You are a postdoctoral student in computer science working on some artificial
intelligence programs for use in chemical manufacturing. Two other graduate
students are working with you on the project, which is directed by a senior re-
searcher. You have just received an e-mail from a research team at another uni-
versity asking you for some preliminary data and designs related to your proj-
ect. They are working on a similar project and said that they are interested in
collaborating. It is likely that your research will have significant economic
value and will result in patented products. What should you do?

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