School of something
FACULTY OF OTHER
Integrity and Ethics in Engineering
Research
Alice Temple and Peter Jimack
University of Leeds
Overview
 Trust
 Meanings of Integrity and Ethics
 Themes in Ethics in Engineering Research
 Balancing Risks and Benefits
 Moral Values Embedded in Engineering
 Integrity in Engineering Research
 Environmental Impact of Research
 Social Consequences
Ethics and Engineering
 According to a recent survey which is the most trusted
profession in the UK?
Answer
1) Doctors
2) Academics
Why is this relevant?
 Membership of a trusted profession and position of trust
generates special responsibilities.
 Medical professionals are in an analogous position.
 Engineering researchers are experts on risk and potential
harms and benefits of e.g. technological developments
(Incidentally Estate Agents and Lawyers came last)
What do we mean by integrity
and ethics?
 Integrity: Coherence of word and deed and a collection of
qualities clustered around truth and fair dealing. Integrating
one’s professional life and personal convictions
 Engineering Research Ethics: Concerning obligations,
rights, ideals of character and minimising harm to humans,
animals and the environment.
 The responsibilities and rights that ought to be endorsed in
engineering research
 Desirable ideals in engineering research
The Big Picture
“Virtue leads to happiness” (Aristotle)
 Ethical research the most fulfilling
“Moral excellence comes about as a result of habit.” (Aristotle)
 Internal self-management the paradigm
“The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but
because of those who look on and do nothing” (Albert Einstein)
 Integrity by association, “a duty to whistle-blow”?
 Competing pressures challenging “doing the right thing”
Themes in Ethics of Research in
Engineering
There are many “obvious” types of activity for which ethical
consideration is required by engineering researchers…
 Use of human subjects (especially “vulnerable” groups);
 Use of human tissue;
 Use of human data (including images);
 Presentation of research results in full and balanced manner;
 Etc, etc.
These are not the main focus of this discussion however…
Themes in Ethics of Research in
Engineering: Our Focus
1) Moral values pervade all aspects of technological development:
ethics and excellence in engineering cannot be separated.
2) Engineering projects generate new possibilities and risks, engineers
share responsibility for creating benefits, preventing harm and
advising on dangers
3) Personal integrity/commitments matter in engineering, in addition to
principles of responsibility
4) Engineering ethics concerns both decisions made by individuals and
general directions of technological development, collective
responsibilities of engineers, and engineering professional societies
5) Ethical dilemmas and potential conflicts of interest arise in
engineering, as elsewhere, due to myriad and potentially conflicting
moral values
Moral Values are Embedded in
Engineering Research
Moral values and judgements are embedded throughout
engineering research:
 Basic standards of safety and efficiency;
 Structure of research groups as communities of people
engaged in shared activities and goals: with shared credit and
rewards;
 The idea that engineering research seeks to combine
advanced skills with a commitment to the public good!
Balancing Risks and Benefits
 Technological development is central to human progress.
 However, many developments carry with them potential
risks, side-effects or consequences.
 If new technologies are to be accepted by society to what
extent must they be attuned to the needs, aspirations and
views of society?
 To what extent are engineering researchers responsible for
providing this information on both risks and benefits?
Who else is equipped to do this?
Balancing Risks and Benefits
Optimists will point to benefits of engineering achievements
but to what extent should these be tempered by highlighting
the potential risks?
 Ubiquitous computing and remote sensing;
 Energy supply: nuclear, tidal, bio-mass, etc.;
 Bio-medical engineering;
 Etc.
Personal Integrity in
Engineering Research
What does personal integrity in engineering research amount
to?
 The classical concept of “integrity in research” is a given!
 Accepting and sharing responsibility for the work;
 Imaginatively foreseeing risks and possible harms;
 Conscientiously monitoring projects;
 Alerting others of potential harms to enable them to give
informed consent to risks;
 Combining economic growth, social justice and
environmental care……
Economic growth, social justice
and environmental care.
Sustainable development needs to combine economic
growth, social justice and environmental care, balancing the
needs of the present against those of future generations.
To what extent is this something that we should be
considering as engineering researchers?
Social Justice / Environmnetal
Impact
 Ethical ramifications of research – e.g. bio-fuels raise
ethical considerations as can impact on food prices &
therefore the poor.
 Significant unrest in Mexico due to a 400% increase in price
of tortilla flour resulting from demand on corn for bio-fuels.
 Engineers well placed to make environmental contributions.
 Should we seek to encourage corporations to adopt greater
environmental concern, finding ways to embed that concern in
economically viable technology?
Conflicts of Interest
Higher education institutions are under increasing economic
pressures.
 Increasingly researchers are encouraged to seek financial
ties, and businesses are keen to utilise the expertise that HEIs
can bring to benefit society and economy.
 This “commercialisation of research” can lead to creative
partnerships.
 But it also brings the risk of the distortion of objective
judgement in terms of secrecy, conflicts of interests and
manipulation of research results.
A Relevant Statistic
To demonstrate how this can affect research results look at
this statistic:
94% of researchers with ties to the tobacco industry found no
harmful effects when they studied second-hand smoke,
13% with no such ties reported such results (Bok, 2003)
Those with sponsorship are 7 times less likely to report
harmful effects of second-hand smoke.
Remember: it is not just what is reported;
it is also what is not reported!
When should conflicts of
interest be constrained?
 If it leads to the researcher not being able to speak freely
 If it tempts them to use fraudulent means
 If it damages relations with colleagues
 If it conceals discoveries or information needed by society
(e.g. had the discovery of insulin been kept secret)
 If it covers up illegal acts or the dangers of a product or
process e.g. concealment of side-effects of drug
 If it hampers free communication about large areas of
potential development
Are there other examples too?
Summary and Possible Points for
Discussion
 Fundamental moral values and responsibilities.
 Benefits versus potential risks – the engineer’s roles?
 Personal integrity
 Combining economic growth, social justice and
environmental care – responsibilities to all sections of
society?
 Awareness of conflicts of interest – and behaving
appropriately?