Seminar NWO-British Council
'Practical Ethics in Research'
Science Seminar Series Report – by Claire
McNulty
'Science is an integral and public part of today’s society. New scientific discoveries and developments are occurring on a daily basis and often have, or promise to have, dramatic consequences for people’s lives. Science is creeping into politics and becoming more closely linked with society than ever before, via the media. With this proximity comes responsibility – scientists are increasingly more accountable, not only for how they conduct their research, but also for how they publicise it.'
Table of contents
- Context
The meeting succeeded in stimulating a healthy debate on many aspects where ethics and science overlap, and although the fundamentals appeared to be similar between the UK and the Netherlands, it was apparent that a lot could be learned by mutual discourse. - Everyday scientific practice
As most new research relies to some extent on previous work it is also of vital importance that all scientists adhere to the same ethical standards. - Science and the
media
Scientists have been given the power by politicians and the media to shape policies, and that although this involvement can be very useful, power can be both addictive and corrupting. - Summing up
'Despite the lack of concrete conclusions from the meeting, it had been extremely useful in generating a discussion about the compatibility of science and ethics.' - Case studies
Case studies Day 1: Everyday scientific practice and Day 2: Ethics of public engagement
Science Seminar Report (pdf)