Research Ethics

Is covert research inherently unethical? Is it okay to inflict harm upon research participants for the sake of scientific learning? Is it unethical to misrepresent or lie to research participants? What happens to research participants after the research is over? What happens to the research findings? And who is regulating these things? In this course, we will explore case studies that underscore the importance of ethical research. We will examine the evolution and efficacy of internal research boards. We will study the development of posthumanism and relational ethics to understand evolving thought on the treatment of humans and non-human animals in research. Finally, students will develop their own research ethics framework based on their understanding of material presented in the course.