Technology, Risk and Research Ethics
Teknik, risk och forskningsetik

GEM025F, 4.5 credits

Valid from: Autumn 2013
Decided by: FN1/Anders Gustafsson, FN2/Eva Nordberg Karlsson, FN3/Per Tunestål
Date of establishment: 2013-05-28

General Information

Division: Doctoral Research Training
Course type: Third-cycle course
Teaching languages: English, Swedish

Aim

The aim of the course is to provide an introduction to the most important theories and issues of normative ethics and research ethics relevant to technology and engineering research and to introduce ethical issues related to risk assessments.

Goals

Knowledge and Understanding

For a passing grade the doctoral student must

• have general knowledge of the key theories and issues of normative ethics relevant to technology and engineering research
• have general knowledge of ethical issues related to risk assessments
• be able to identify problems of research ethics in different scientific contexts, including the research carried out by the doctoral students within their PhD programmes.

Competences and Skills

For a passing grade the doctoral student must

• be able to analyse ethical issues in technology and engineering research, including the research carried out by the doctoral students within their PhD programmes
• be able to apply current rules of research ethics to research on humans and of different kinds, including (where relevant) the research carried out by the doctoral students within their PhD programmes
• be able to use key concepts of ethics and research ethics in oral and written reports.

Judgement and Approach

For a passing grade the doctoral student must demonstrate willingness to discuss ethical issues in their own and others’ research.

Course Contents

Fundamental concepts and theories of ethics, accountability, views on harms and benefits, risks and precaution, fairness, informed consent, regulations on research ethics and ethical vetting, commercial and other special interests, academic misconduct, publication ethics. The course starts with an introductory part providing general knowledge of normative ethics relevant to technology and engineering research and then deals with ethical issues associated with risk assessments and key issues, concepts and applications of research ethics.

Course Literature

• Gustafsson, B., Hermerén, G. & Pettersson, B.: Good Research Practice. Swedish Research Council, 2011.
• European Textbook on Ethics in Research. European Commission, 2010.

A selection of research articles and law texts will be made available at the start of the course.

Instruction Details

Types of instruction: Lectures, seminars. The course consists of lectures, seminars, group discussions and written assignments.

Examination Details

Examination format: Written assignments. The assessment is based on reports of written assignments. For a Pass on the course, the participant must have attended at least 80 % of the scheduled activities and completed and passed all assignments in the course.
Grading scale: Failed, pass
Examiner:

Admission Details

Admission requirements: To be admitted to the course applicants have to be part of a PhD programme at LTH.
Selection criteria: Priority is given to: 1) PhD students who have previously applied to the course and were eligible at the time, 2) PhD students who are closest to finishing their PhD programmes.

Course Occasion Information

Contact and Other Information

Course coordinator: Linus Broström <linus.brostrom@med.lu.se>
Web page: https://www.lth.se/english/cee/doctoral-education-support/faculty-wide-phd-courses/