Ethics in Science and Engineering

by Speight, James G.; Foote, Russell

• ISBN13: 9780470626023
• ISBN10: 047062602X
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-04-26
• Publisher: Wiley-Scrivener

Summary

The pursuit of science and engineering requires freedom of thought and, in the academic sense, unrestricted communication. It is through the professionalism of the members of the scientific and engineering disciplines that world knowledge and technology advances. Yet there are continuous reports of unethical behavior in the form of data manipulation, cheating, and plagiarism at the highest levels of the disciplines. The causes are manifold whether it is the need to advance in one of the chosen disciplines or to compete successful for and obtain research funding. This book gives an account of the various scientific and engineering disciplines and examines the potential for unethical behavior by professionals. Documented examples are presented to show where the matter could have been halted before it became an unethical issue. The authors also look to the future to see what is in store for professionals in the scientific and engineering disciplines and how the potential for unethical behavior can be negated.

Author Biography

James G. Speight PhD, DSc is a senior fuel and environmental consultant and Visiting Professor at the University of Trinidad and Tobago. He is recognized internationally as an expert in the characterization, properties, and processing of conventional fuels, synthetic fuels, and biofuels. He has more than 40 years of experience in the process industries, is the author of numerous books and papers, is the senior editor of three journals, and has won numerous awards and distinctions. Russell Foote earned his PhD in Sociology of Education in 2002 at The University of the West Indies. He has accumulated a range of teaching experiences at the primary, secondary and tertiary education levels, in addition to administrative, research and community service. He also has publications that are used at every academic level.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. ix
Explaining Ethics	p. 1
Introduction	p. 1
The Impact of Science and Engineering	p. 8
The Framework of Ethics	p. 12
Ethics in Professional Life	p. 19
References	p. 24
Scientists and Engineers	p. 27
Introduction	p. 27
Definitions	p. 32
Scientific Disciplines	p. 35
Engineering Disciplines	p. 39
Expert Witness	p. 41
Professionalism	p. 43
References	p. 50
The Psychology and Philosophy of Ethics	p. 53
Introduction	p. 53
Ethical Responsibilities in Research	p. 56
Ethics in Science and Engineering	p. 63
A Phenomenological Theory of Ethics	p. 72
Conflicts of Interest	p. 76
References	p. 82
Education of Scientists and Engineers	p. 85
Introduction	p. 85
The High School Experience	p. 87
The Baccalaureate Experience	p. 91
The Graduate Degree Experience	p. 102
Postdoctoral Education	p. 106
Morals and Values	p. 108
Evaluating Scientists and Engineers	p. 113
Intellectual Property	p. 114
References	p. 119
Scientific and Engineering Societies	p. 123
Introduction	p. 123
Scientific Societies	p. 127
Engineering Societies	p. 131
Codes of Ethics and Ethical Standards	p. 134
Promoting Research Integrity	p. 138
The Effectiveness of Society Activities	p. 140
Academic Freedom	p. 148
References	p. 153
Codes of Ethics and Ethical Standards	p. 157
Introduction	p. 157
Ethics	p. 166
Codes of Ethics	p. 179
The Premise Behind Codes of Ethics	p. 184
Codes of Ethics and Peer Reviews	p. 188
References	p. 191
Integrity in Research	p. 195
Introduction	p. 195
The Nature and Conduct of Research	p. 205
Single Investigators	p. 211
Team Investigators	p. 212
Misrepresenting Credentials	p. 213
Misleading Listing of Authorship	p. 214
Collecting Research Data	p. 216
Bias in Analytical Methods	p. 220
Misuse of the Data	p. 221
Falsification and Fabrication of the Data	p. 222
Plagiarism and Theft	p. 224
The Controls	p. 226
References	p. 231
Publication and Communication	p. 235
Introduction	p. 235
The Scientific and Engineering Literature	p. 241
The Journals	p. 242
Data Manipulation for Publication	p. 247
Detecting Falsified Data	p. 248
Peer Reviewers and Their Duties	p. 249
Duties and Responsibilities of a Journal Editor	p. 252
References	p. 257
Enforcement of Codes of Ethics	p. 259
Introduction	p. 259
Following a Code of Ethics	p. 262
Enforcing a Code of Ethics	p. 264
Reporting Misconduct	p. 274
Published Examples of Unethical Behavior	p. 280
References	p. 288
Glossary	p. 291
Index	p. 301
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