The Ethics of Scientific Research

Data

Official data in SubjectManager for the following academic year: 2023-2024

Topic

Scientific studies and their results have a great impact on the society, especially in the field of medical science. Consequently, the ethical problems raised by the practice of scientific research are significant problems not only for the researchers, but also for the wider society. The seminar assists students in clarifying the basic ethical, legal and philosophical aspects of medical research. During the semester the following subjects will be discussed: the ethical issues raised by human studies, the ethics of scientific publication, the ethical concerns of research on human embryos, gene-ethics, the ethical implications of animal experiments, the basic features and norms of scientific cognition, neuroethical examples for the potential societal impact of medical research.

Lectures

Practices

Seminars

• 1. Introduction
• 2. Introduction
• 3. Rationality and ethics
• 4. Rationality and ethics
• 5. The methodology of scientific research in natural sciences, and its ethical implications
• 6. The methodology of scientific research in natural sciences, and its ethical implications
• 7. The ethical concerns of clinical trials
• 8. The ethical concerns of clinical trials
• 9. The ethical concerns of clinical trials
• 10. The ethical concerns of clinical trials
• 11. Ethical problems raised by animal experimentation
• 12. Ethical problems raised by animal experimentation
• 13. The placebo effect
• 14. The placebo effect
• 15. The ethics of scientific publication
• 16. Ethics and scientific achievement
• 17. Gene-ethics
• 18. Gene-ethics II.
• 19. The ethics of stem cell research
• 20. The ethics of stem cell research II.
• 21. Neuroethical examples of the social impact of medical research
• 22. Summarizing discussion
• 23. Test
• 24. Test

Reading material

Obligatory literature

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Literature developed by the Department

Additional materials: Neptun MeetStreet, MS Teams

Notes

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Recommended literature

John Ziman: Is Science Losing its Objectivity?, Nature, Vol. 382, August 1996, p.751-754.
David Miller: Being an Absolute Skeptic, Science, Vol. 284, 1999 June, p.1625-1626.
Dale J. Benos et al: Ethics and Scientific Publication, Advances in Physiological Education, 29: 59-74, 2005.
Laura Bonetta: The Aftermath of Scientific Fraud, Cell, 2006 Mar 10; 124 (5):873-5.
Larry D. Claxton: Scientific Authorship, Mutation Research/Reviews in Mutation Research, Volume 589, Issue 1, January 2005, p. 17-45.
Porter DG: Ethical Scores for Animal Experiments, Nature, Vol. 356, March 1992, p.101-102.
Peter Singers: Practical Ethics, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1979, Equality for animals?, p.48-72.
Tom Regan: Empty Cages: Animals Rights and Vivisection, Contemporary Debates in Applied Ethics, edited by Andrew I. Cohen and Christopher Heath Wellman , Blackwell Ltd, 2005, p.77-91.
Martha J. Farah: Emerging Ethical Issues in Neuroscience, Nature Neuroscience, 5/11, 2002,1123-1129.

Conditions for acceptance of the semester

Maximum of 25 % absence allowed

Mid-term exams

Written test taking place in the last class. To improve the grade, the test can be repeated two times in the first two weeks of the exam period. Oral exam is also an option for that purpose.

Making up for missed classes

According to the Code of Studies and Examinations.

Exam topics/questions

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Examiners

Instructor / tutor of practices and seminars

• Dr. Szolcsányi Tibor