Science and Industry

Ethical Issues in Collaboration

dependence on others

collegiality: treating other respectfully

fairness

accountability

agreeement

Benefits of Academic and Industry Collaboration

finances for research

hire staff, build facilities

hold conferences

benefit from expertise in pindustry

use of good equipment and facilities

benefit from university experience

good publicity

expansion and support of universities for soceity

Harms of Academic and Industry Collaboration

individual conflicts of interest

increased secrecy

diversion of university resources from basic research to applied research

research bias

Conflict of Interest

having a personal, financial, political, or other interest that are likely to undermine their ability to fulfill their primary professional, ethical, or legal obligations

Objectivity

procedural objectivity: using methods designed to minimize bias

epistemic objectivity: producing claims about the world that are accurate

Real COI

interests that are likely to affect an average person’s thinking or behavior under similar circumstances

Apparent COI

interests that create the perception of a conflict to a reasonable outside observer, even if they don’t actually affect the person

Conflict of Commitment

competing demands on time and effort

Conflict of Duty

obligations that pull in different directions

Disclosure

report real or apparent COIs to a relevant party

pros: promotes transparency, enables greater scrutiny of methods and results

limits: moral licensing (unconscious feeling that bias is justified because others have been warned), strategic exaggeration (increase bias to counteract anticipated discounting), can create a false sense of security

Management and Prohibition

develop strategies to control the COIs and prevent COI situations from arising