Ethical Engineering: Definitions, Theories and Techniques - Ethical Engineering for International Development and Environmental Sustainability - page 50

technologies and other products with ethical aims may have possibly unforeseen mili-
tary or other applications, which raise ethical questions. There is a consequent ethical
responsibility to give some thought to the full range of potential applications. When
the main applications of a technology are ethical, but it is very likely that there will also
be some unethical applications, it can be useful to use consequentialist approaches to
balance the probable advantages of the development of the assistive device or other
ethical application against the likely disadvantages of the unethical applications.

4.2.2 The Ethical Conduct of Research

Guidelines for the ethical conduct of research include the following:

1. Scientifi c standards:

(a) Research procedures that meet the highest scientifi c standards and lead to
repeatable results.
(b) Not falsifying data.
(c) Not making false claims or infl ating the signifi cance of your results. It should
be noted that publication of your best rather than their average results is ethi-
cally questionable, as it can make the work seem more signifi cant than it is.
(d) Being very careful to avoid or at least reduce any bias in your choice of
samples and evaluating the likely bias in responses, for instance, when it is
necessary to choose convenience samples or there is a low response rate.

2. Respecting and crediting others for their work:

(a) Acknowledging and referencing all your sources. This should include when
the results of another researcher are being repeated, for instance, to test a
new methodology.
(b) Giving full credit to the people who have actually done the work, including
when they are junior to you, and not claiming someone else's work as your
own.
(c) Only putting your name on research papers and reports you have actually
made a signifi cant contribution to.
(d) Not plagiarising, i.e. not passing other people's work off as one's own. As
well as not copying (large) chunks of text from the Internet, this includes not
giving full attribution. Vigilance is required to avoid unintentional
plagiarism.

3. Maintaining independence:

(a) Not accepting sponsorship that will restrict the independence of your work.
(b) Not holding on to pet theories after they have been demonstrated to be
fl awed.
(c) Flexibility and openness and willingness to listen to opposing views and new
paradigms.