the videos

Using the Videos

The videos are not designed to be used as a full course in research ethics, but rather as supplemental material in a dedicated course, a component of a training program, or as part of a lecture series intended to reach larger audiences. Scientific societies may use the videos at national or local meetings, where they could readily be shown to large or small audiences, and to make them available to their student chapters. And industrial or government laboratories could use the videos as part of their professional development programs.

The instructor or discussion leader performs a valuable role as a facilitator and resource for others, providing feedback and using the videos in conjunction with background readings and discussion of government policies and professional standards of conduct. In whatever setting the videos are shown, it is an opportunity to reassure participants that such issues can be openly discussed in the research environment. A set of discussion questions is included for each video; some are likely to be more useful than others depending on the flow of the discussion. Not every question is intended to be used for every discussion session. It might even be useful to begin with some general questions, such as "What ethical problems are highlighted in the video and what behaviors on the part of which individuals contributed to them?"

The cases portrayed in the videos typically involve several issues, challenging viewers to recognize ethical problems, define the nature of the ethical conflicts, and identify the values at stake. Dissecting a case encourages participants to reflect on and apply their own values and on how those values compare with others involved in the discussion, giving them an enriched appreciation for the diversity of views that may be brought to bear on such matters. Cases that realistically capture the complexity, uncertainty, and pressures that researchers encounter "can serve as reference points for individuals when they experience an analogous problem in their work" (Korenman and Shipp 1994, p. 2). A good case can also be helpful in illuminating the distinction between error in science and improper research practices.

Because the videos end without closure, viewers are encouraged to specify the issues, determine how they could be resolved, and give convincing reasons for their decisions. The ensuing discussions will usually help to reveal the complexity of the issues and the options available for solving them. Consensus may not be achieved, but viewers should gain confidence that they can make an informed decision when faced with an ethically challenging situation. It is important, therefore, that such discussions take place in a non-threatening environment. Exploring a case in a supportive setting, with ample feedback, is likely to encourage students or junior faculty members to discuss matters more openly than they might with an institutional officer or laboratory chief.

The videos can also be used to help viewers learn the appropriate conventions, standards, and rules for responsible research conduct. Instructors can introduce "external data" into the cases by referring, for example, to relevant government regulations, institutional policies, and professional standards. In this way viewers can learn the constraints under which researchers work as well as clarify the shared expectations and standards of conduct held by the scientific community and by the larger society that sanctions their research.

Finally, the videos can be a vehicle for exploring the role of personal responsibility in ethical decision-making as well as of social and institutional influences on individual moral choices. Research is conditioned and influenced at every stage by personal, professional, and social values. Scientists need to be sensitive to the possible introduction of values extraneous to their work that can distort the results or reporting of their research. It is also important to acknowledge the influence that social and institutional structures, such as a competitive grant system, can exert on a researcher's judgment and course of action. Yet it is equally important to disabuse people of the notion that "the system made them do it." We are all empowered with the capacity for making choices and an effective educational program should help individuals to assume personal responsibility for the choices they make in the conduct of research.



	Using the Videos The videos are not designed to be used as a full course in research ethics, but rather as supplemental material in a dedicated course, a component of a training program, or as part of a lecture series intended to reach larger audiences. Scientific societies may use the videos at national or local meetings, where they could readily be shown to large or small audiences, and to make them available to their student chapters. And industrial or government laboratories could use the videos as part of their professional development programs. The instructor or discussion leader performs a valuable role as a facilitator and resource for others, providing feedback and using the videos in conjunction with background readings and discussion of government policies and professional standards of conduct. In whatever setting the videos are shown, it is an opportunity to reassure participants that such issues can be openly discussed in the research environment. A set of discussion questions is included for each video; some are likely to be more useful than others depending on the flow of the discussion. Not every question is intended to be used for every discussion session. It might even be useful to begin with some general questions, such as "What ethical problems are highlighted in the video and what behaviors on the part of which individuals contributed to them?" The cases portrayed in the videos typically involve several issues, challenging viewers to recognize ethical problems, define the nature of the ethical conflicts, and identify the values at stake. Dissecting a case encourages participants to reflect on and apply their own values and on how those values compare with others involved in the discussion, giving them an enriched appreciation for the diversity of views that may be brought to bear on such matters. Cases that realistically capture the complexity, uncertainty, and pressures that researchers encounter "can serve as reference points for individuals when they experience an analogous problem in their work" (Korenman and Shipp 1994, p. 2). A good case can also be helpful in illuminating the distinction between error in science and improper research practices. Because the videos end without closure, viewers are encouraged to specify the issues, determine how they could be resolved, and give convincing reasons for their decisions. The ensuing discussions will usually help to reveal the complexity of the issues and the options available for solving them. Consensus may not be achieved, but viewers should gain confidence that they can make an informed decision when faced with an ethically challenging situation. It is important, therefore, that such discussions take place in a non-threatening environment. Exploring a case in a supportive setting, with ample feedback, is likely to encourage students or junior faculty members to discuss matters more openly than they might with an institutional officer or laboratory chief. The videos can also be used to help viewers learn the appropriate conventions, standards, and rules for responsible research conduct. Instructors can introduce "external data" into the cases by referring, for example, to relevant government regulations, institutional policies, and professional standards. In this way viewers can learn the constraints under which researchers work as well as clarify the shared expectations and standards of conduct held by the scientific community and by the larger society that sanctions their research. Finally, the videos can be a vehicle for exploring the role of personal responsibility in ethical decision-making as well as of social and institutional influences on individual moral choices. Research is conditioned and influenced at every stage by personal, professional, and social values. Scientists need to be sensitive to the possible introduction of values extraneous to their work that can distort the results or reporting of their research. It is also important to acknowledge the influence that social and institutional structures, such as a competitive grant system, can exert on a researcher's judgment and course of action. Yet it is equally important to disabuse people of the notion that "the system made them do it." We are all empowered with the capacity for making choices and an effective educational program should help individuals to assume personal responsibility for the choices they make in the conduct of research.