Biology
540 Fall 2003
ETHICAL
ISSUES IN BIOLOGY:
JOURNAL (175
POINTS) DUE DATE:
NOVEMBER 1
Instructions
- Assemble
the
following
items and submit them typed, double spaced, and in order.
- Be sure to include a table of
contents
for easy access.
- Place
in
folder or other notebook and turn in to the Biology Office receptionist
to be placed in the Serrano mailbox.
- PLEASE
DO NOT PUT YOUR NAME ON YOUR
ASSIGNMENT
- Assignments
should
have ONLY the last 5 digits of your SSN, NOT your name
- MAKE
SURE THE 5 DIGITS ARE ON
EVERY PAGE AND THAT PAGES ARE NUMBERED
- Brief
answers are recommended (succinct, clear, and well reasoned)
- Discussion
with other students, faculty, advisors etc is encouraged during
preparation of this journal.
GOAL.
The objective of the journal assignment
is for students to explore their own values and ethics in the context
of
scientific issues that are raised by media articles, TV programs,
science
classes, lab exercises, research experiences etc. as well as reading
and
other class assignments. It is hoped that the journal will be
useful
resource for students over the years as they continue their own
exploration
of ethcial themes throughout professional life.
Contents:
- Philosophy
5 points
- Access the
following websites and
select
and print and read ONE article for your journal. Prepare a brief (2-3
paragraph)commentary
on the article. Some suggestions for discussion: why you chose the
article,
what you found informative and provocative about the article, what you
gained from reading and thinking about it, links between the thoughts
and
opinions expressed by the authors and prevailing attitudes and
assumptions
about science and the scientific process among scientists you know.
- Scientific Integrity and Misconduct 15
points
- Read Research
Ethics Ch 1. Do you believe ethics can be taught to adults?
why or why not?
- What is
the
definition
of scientific misconduct?
what are the consequences for scientific
misconduct?
- Access, read
and
printout
the following web sites for your journal. Briefly answer
the following:
do you believe the policies are sufficient clear about what constitutes
misconduct? do they provide enough information to (a) provide
individuals
with knowledge about how to proceed to report misconduct? (b) allow
individuals
to know how they will be protected if they report misconduct or if they
are accused of misconduct?
- Include the
code of conduct for your profession
- Mentoring
of
Students 10 points
- What ethical
concerns do
you have regarding conflicts in the classroom and in
teaching?.
Are you concerned about plagiarism and cheating? What penalties, if
any,
should be imposed for these actions? Do you think students are willing
to report academic misconduct? Why or why not? Are academic and
scientific
misconduct different and if so in what ways?
- Comment on this
article from the AAUP http://www.aaup.org/statements/Redbook/Gradst.htm
- What ethical
concerns do
you have regarding conflicts between faculty and graduate
students? What
workplace expectations do you have of faculty? of students?
- Reporting of
Research Results and Authorship 30
points
- Read Research Ethics pp 98-127 and
Evidence and Inference
pp
11-13 in
Science,
Evidence, and Inference in Education:
Report
of a Workshop
(2001)
- Why are data collection and retention
important?
- What criteria should be used to select
data for presentation and publication?
- What are abductive, deductive and inductive
reasoning?
- What is scientific inference and what
types of practices distort this process?
- How should statistical analysis be
incorporated into an experimental design?
- What is a post hoc hypothesis and how is
it viewed in experimental design?
- How do you
determine when data are ready for publication? How do you
determine which data are represented in figures and tables?
- Read Research Ethics pp 127-133.
Do you believe author order does or does not matter on a paper?
Who should decide authorship and the order of authors?
- Print the
guidelines for authors from a major journal in your field and
place this in your journal (Optional:
provide comments).
- Collaborative
Research and Intellectual Property 10 points
- Access
the AAUP Statement on Corporate
Funding of Academic Research and
write a brief (1-2 paragraph) comment on the information
provided.
Does the article raise concerns for you regarding scholarship and
student experiences? why or why not?
- What advice
would you give a colleague about to embark on a collaboration?
- Access, read,
and
printout
the NMSU
policy
on intellectual property for your journal. What
are
your
rights and obligations as a student researcher? any surprises here? Who
are the "Originators?"
- Organisms
in
research 21
points
- Visit this website
dedicated to Peter
Singer and download an article that argues against the use of
animals
in research.Comment on Singer's views as compared with the
Chapter
by Macrina. List
key
arguments for
the use of animals and against
the use of animals in research.
- Read the
article
Polio made from scratch Do you believe the
authors
should (a) have conducted the research (b) have published the
research?
Justify your position.
- Access this link.
What is required for human subjects work at NMSU? What is the
IRB?
- Environmental
Ethics and Bioterrorism 15
points
- International
perspectives. Access the following URLS. What ethical issues are raised
on these web sites? Do you share any of these concerns?
- What is
biopiracy? What
are some of the issues being debated in this area?
- Do you
have
concerns
regarding the environment in the Las Cruces/El Paso region? Explain.
- Do you
have
concerns
regarding bioterrorism
in the Las Cruces/El Paso region? Explain.
- Genetic
Testing and
Eugenics 14 points
- Write a 1-2
page
commentary
of the material presented on TWO of these URLs.
- Prepare a
6-10
page discovery or position essay
on a topic related to material covered in class. The discovery
paper can be written as a letter to a friend or editor if you
wish.
- The use of
bold
statements
or quotes that you will refute or support may be a useful mechanism to
around which to organize your paper.
- Include
references as appropriate.
- In the past,
students have published or used thes papers as parts of applications