Ethics, Integrity and Policymaking: The Value of the Case Study

This Open Access book provides illustrative case studies that explore various research and innovation topics that raise challenges requiring ethical reflection and careful policymaking responses. The cases highlight diverse ethical challenges and provide lessons for the various options available for policymaking. Cases are drawn from many fields, including artificial intelligence, space science, energy, data protection, professional research practice and pandemic planning. Case studies are particularly helpful with ethical issues to provide crucial context. This book reflects the ambiguity of ethical dilemmas in contemporary policymaking. Analyses reflect current debates where consensus has not yet been achieved. These cases illustrate key points made throughout the PRO-RES EU-funded project from which they arise: that ethical judgement is a fluid enterprise, where values, principles and standards must constantly adjust to new situations, new events and new research developments. This book is an indispensable aid to policymaking that addresses, and/or uses evidence from, novel research developments.

Dónal O'Mathúna, Ph.D., is Associate Professor at the Ohio State University’s College of Nursing and Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities. He is also Director of the Cochrane Affiliate at OSU’s Helene Fuld Health Trust National Institute for Evidence-based Practice in Nursing and Healthcare. He is Visiting Professor of Ethics in the European Masters in Disaster Medicine, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Italy. His research focuses on ethical issues in disasters and humanitarian crises, particularly research ethics in such contexts. He has been Principal Investigator on funded research examining research ethics in disasters and humanitarian crises and developed practical tools and support strategies to facilitate ethical reflection in such settings. Dónal has contributed to ethics initiatives and guidelines with the World Health Organization, UNICEF and other organizations. He is Co-Editor of three books published by Springer: Ethics and Law for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear & Explosive Crises (2019); Disasters: Core Concepts and Ethical Issues (2018); and Disaster Bioethics: Normative Issues When Nothing is Normal (2014). He has spoken and published widely, including peer-reviewed articles in Bioethics, BMC Medical Ethics, Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine and Worldviews on Evidence-based Nursing.

Dr Ron Iphofen FAcSS (British) is independent Consultant based in France with international recognition for expertise on research ethics and professional standards in research. Since 2008, he has presented at over 200 national and international events for universities, government, research institutes and the European Commission (EC) and European Research Council (ERC). He has served in the Universities Sector of the Association for Research Ethics (AfRE) UK. He has acted as Consultant, Adviser and/or delivered training on research ethics for the Scottish Executive, UK Government Social Research, National Disability Authority (Ireland), National Centre for Social Research, Social Research Association, Audit Commission, Food Standards Agency, Ministry of Justice, BIG Lottery, Local Authorities’ Consortium, UK Research Integrity Office, Skills Development Scotland, ANR (French Research Funding agency), SSRC (Canada) and many others. His primary consultative activity at present is for the EC Ethics Unit, Directorate General for Science and Innovation, the Research Executive Agency (REA), and the ERC.