Transcript Slides group 3

Ethics of technology and science I
“Research Collaboration” Chapter 5
Seminar I
10.11.2016
Kristina Conrady, Albin Nordström, Lei Liu, Anke Bender
Research dilemma
What would you do in the following situation?
A company is funding a series of drug studies. Your research group
has been given a large grant for such a study, in which you are
comparing the company's products with similar products from other
manufacturers, under varying conditions and on different target
groups. The company is taking care of publication, and publishes the
studies with the results most favourable from its point of view first,
the less positive ones much later, and the negative ones not at all.
You protest at this.
What action do you take?
And now?
What actions do you take? Protest or not to protest?
“We” protest!
BUT procedure of protest depends on our position:
• PhD student
• Senior / acknowledged researcher
• Group leader
5 minutes group discussion
1. Ethical problems and conflicts
Loyalty towards the funding company
-We have an obligation towards the
funding company
Moral responsibility in front of “us”
and the society
-We have a moral responsibility to
present the full research
-And towards the society since it is a
drug study
2. Our decision and ethical conflicts
If the researcher protest:
If the researcher do not protest:
-Conflict between us and the company
for the present research and possible
future funding
-Conflict between us and other
research group members (some
researchers are more dependent on the
results then others like PhD students)
-Personal conflict with the moral
responsibility
-as a researcher to be objective and
present ALL results
-towards the society
3. Alternative solutions
Alternative solution 1 “anonymous
publishing”
-we arrange that someone else
publish the “negative” results for us
anonymously
-in that way we can fulfill our moral
responsibility
Alternative solution 2 “forward the
problem”
-we discuss the dilemma with a senior
researcher in our group
-this person might have better / more
possibilities to react
-”forwarding” the problem to
someone else
4. Who will be affected
If the researcher protest:
-ourself and colleagues, the research
group
-the company (economic loss, loss of
credibility)
If the researcher do not protest:
-the society, people can be affected by
using drugs not working properly
-possible damage to the scientific
community if it would be revealed in
the future
-ourselves, colleagues, research
group
-the company
5. Values, interests & duties
A. Values
• Company
•
•
Credibility
Economically
B. Interests
• Company
•
• Researcher
•
•
•
Can we live with the
decision?
Career
Credibility
• Society
•
Health of patients
Want to show
themselves from the
best side “our product
is the best”
• Researcher
•
•
•
Do “good” research
Getting funding for the
future
Publishing papers
• Society
•
To get adequate
medicine, medical
service
C. Duties /
standpoints
Generally the company as well as
the researcher has the duty to
provide society with adequate
drugs / results.
• Company
•
publish the positive result without
the negative results, to persuade
more persons to buy their drugs
• Researcher
•
Publish honestly all results
• Society
•
having the rights to know the
exact effects of the drugs
6. Effect on Values
1. Solution ”protest”
•
•
•
(A) safe our credibility (+),
companies may not fund
projects where we are
participating (-),
companies may not hire
us (-)
(B) company’s credibility
could be damaged (-);
financial problems, people
might lose their job, …
(C) one dubious drug less
on the market (+)
2. Solution “anonymous
publishing”
•
•
•
(A) safe our credibility (+), if
someone finds out that we did that,
there could be more negative
effects for us: we could be sued (-),
and if so the negative effects of the
first solution will follow, most likely.
Also, if the person who publish the
negative results is discovered, this
could have negative effects on
his/her research career (-).
(B) company’s credibility could be
damaged (-); financial problems,
people might lose their job, …
(C) one dubious drug less on the
market (+)
3. Solution “forward
the problem”
•
•
•
(A) safe our credibility (+)
If any action is taken and
the negative results are
published:
(B) company’s credibility
could be damaged (-);
financial problems, people
might lose their job, …
(C) one dubious drug less
on the market (+)
7. Optimal use of “the solution”
-Protest and make sure all results will be published
-but also provide suggestions on how the negative results of the study
can be used to develop the product