History and Past Activities
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History and Past Activities |
Katarina Prpic
Institute for Social Research of Zagreb, Croatia
Research ethics in biosciences and other scientif fields: an empirical comparison
Research ethics as denoted by, mostly partial, empirical studies, is still more complex than its rather simplified description suggested by different approaches to the research of the social organization of science and models of new production of knowledge (Merton, 1974; Knorr-Cetina & Mulkay, 1983; Gibbons at al., 1994 [1997]; Etzkowitz & Leydesdorf, 1998). Today, its complexity is also emphasized by the (co)author of the new research paradigm called “Mode 2” (Scott, 2003). From a wider theoretical and hypothetical point of view, scientific ethics is a composite of scientists’ professional, cognitive and social norms and values, as well as of their professional practice or daily conduct at work (Prpic, 1998).
Theoretically, significant differentiation of scientists’ professional values and everyday professional practice occurs first and foremost with regard to the scientific field. The disciplinary context is supposed to be closely linked with basic assumptions and epistemic ideals of scientific disciplines and fields: 1) ideals and beliefs about science, such as epistemic goals, methods and criteria of knowledge production and of scientific findings' evaluation within a field or a discipline; 2) world view hypotheses, including basic ontological assumptions about the part of the world or reality studied in a field or a discipline; 3) ideals about the extra-scientific significance of disciplinary produced knowledge for society and culture, for practical use and for enlightenment (Andersen, 1999).
Sociology of Science and Technology NETwork - last update: April 2006