Norman Edmund’s Educational Blog

From The Search by C.P. Snow:

“The only ethical principle which has made science possible is that the truth shall be told all the time. If we do not penalise false statements made in error, we open up the way, don’t you see, for false statements by intention. And of course a false statement of fact, made deliberately, is the most serious crime a scientist can commit.”

The foundation that has made science so successful is the honesty of scientists in their search for truth as nearly as it can be ascertained. The pressures and difficulties of research may make some scientists fail to be honest, but their record, compared to those of other domains, is superior.

The fact that scientists are taught to follow a code of ethics helps to keep their work honest. A Gallup poll showed that 97% of people thought that honesty should be taught in schools. There has recently been a trend to teach ethics in more college courses.

It is easier to clearly define honesty by describing actions that are dishonest. Thus, many of my future pages on integrity will cover them.

References on integrity:

Honor in Science (1991). A pamphlet published by and available from Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society, www.sigmaxi.org.

Responsible Science - Ensuring the Integrity of the Research Process VI and VII (1992). Published by the National Academy of Sciences. Available from the National Academy Press, www.nap.edu.

A special issue of Science and Engineering Ethics - The Role of Scientific Societies in Promoting Research Integrity. Vol. 9, no. 2, 2003. Published by Opragen Publications, www.opragen.co.uk.

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