Dr. Frances A. Houle

From IBM Almaden Research Center,San Jose, CA

Abstract

It is often assumed that science and engineering students can pick up the basics of ethical behavior during their education, and do not need direct instruction or even informal discussions to develop an awareness of important values. This lack of explicit focus on ethics can lead to unfortunate misunderstandings or even worse an impression that ethical thinking is unimportant. There are several levels of professional ethics that all scientists and engineers should understand and consider, ranging from fabrication, falsification and plagiarism which are defined as misconduct by the US government, to harmful behaviors such as failure to cite previous work in a paper. It is essential that all be well-equipped to make good decisions in these areas. This is achieved not only through knowledge of the elements of professional ethics, but also through development of good judgment by discussion of situations and examination of past events. In addition, it is important to understand how to handle suspicions or allegations of unethical behavior, and to be familiar with resources within one's institution to assist in such situations.