Research Ethics: A Philosophical Guide to the Responsible Conduct of Research

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.