Overview: In this assignment you will analyse a number of real and hypothetical case studies, which illustrate common ethical issues in scientific research. You will examine the significance of appropriate scientific conduct and justify the need for an ethical basis for the practice of science.
There are ethical considerations to all research, arising from the topic of research, the methods and processes used, to the findings, outcomes and publication of the research. This assignment has been designed so that you can learn to identify the ethical implications and issues of your own research and to make good decisions as these arise. This assignment will also help you develop your written communication skills. Once completed, this assignment will inform a discussion of the ethical considerations surrounding your research that you can include in your dissertation.
Examine the significance of appropriate scientific conduct and justify the need for an ethical framework for scientific practice
Therefore you will choose three case studies in total: either Wakefield, Plag, and Poehlman plus two case studies from the hypothetical case study set. For each case study, answer the following questions:
1. Analyse the ethical issues relating to the case study.
2. How might the subject of the case study have justified their actions?
3. Argue which of the four primary ethical framework/s the subject of the case study is most likely to have used to justify their actions.
4. Using one or more ethical frameworks, argue why the actions of the subject of the case study were unethical.