Assignment 3: On Responsible Conduct in Science and Engineering

Due 2pm Thursday November 16, 2000



Jennifer will be presenting several cases that raise ethical issues on November 2, 9 and 16.

Read the following five cases that raise ethical issues for November 9:

  1. Requested to Falsify Data
  2. Owning up to a Failure
  3. Who can change Proprietary Source Code
  4. Taking a Position of Influence
  5. Request from a former Student

The National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering have published a booklet titled On Being a Scientist, which discusses issues of responsible conduct in science and engineering research. This publication contains also a number of hypothetical cases concerning research ethics. Read the following two of these cases,

  1. Fabrication in a Grant Application in Misconduct in Science
  2. A Career in the Balance in Responding to Violations of Ethical Standards.

Think about these two cases and answer briefly the three questions raised at the end of each case. Your answers need not be long (a paragraph or two for each question should suffice), but should be precise and address the issues raised in each case. Feel free to make any additional comments you wish about these hypothetical cases. Prepare a hardcopy of your answers and comments using LaTeX and submit it at the start of class on November 16.