- What are some of the ethical issues that you are grappling with in your research? What are some of the ways in which you are responding to these questions?
- As you continue your research, have you considered alternative viewpoints in your investigation? If so, how have these alternative viewpoints enriched or changed your project?
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Remember: you should post your own responses by Thursday. You should respond to another student’s response by Friday. I look forward to discussing your reflections with you!
Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Director of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships, Columbia University
I am a cultural historian by training, and I oversee undergraduate research and fellowships at Columbia. I also have the pleasure of serving as the coordinator of Columbia's Laidlaw program. Feel free to reach out to me if you have questions about coming to Columbia to pursue research and/or community engagement!
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At my current stage there aren't really many ethical concerns since I'm only working with cultured cell lines and bacteria, but as I continue into the more advanced stages of my research, I will eventually begin to use mice animal models to examine my hypothesis about zinc homeostasis in vivo. This obviously has some ethical concerns due to working with living creatures as test subjects. However, this process is heavily controlled to ensure the human treatment of the animal at all times. Looking more broadly and into the future for next summer since I'm hoping to interact with patients, understanding how the past has affected their relationships with the healthcare system will be important.
Science is in a lot of ways very collaborative, not only on the smaller scale within the individual lab environment but also on a larger scale. When I began my project, I read a lot of existing literature on zinc homeostasis and metastatic characteristics of pancreatic cancer cells to try to understand how others had approached similar problems. However, I've found that the main source of alternative inputs has come from other people in the lab where they can provide alternate directions from which to tackle the problem.
Thinking about the ethics of animal testing is really important and interesting! I'm also really looking forward to seeing how your work evolves next summer it sounds great!
One of my primary roles in the Justice Lab centers around preparing for and helping conduct interviews with human subjects. As we were working on the baseline scripts, questions arose about the most appropriate and respectful way to ask questions, while being mindful about their own feelings and level of desired involvement. Specifically, we added a clause to promise confidentiality if they prefer, and a promise to leave out any parts of the interview they would not like published even if it would advance our research.
Working in a group with people of varying academic and social backgrounds allows me to look at research through different angles. Every person emphasized a different aspect of the research - for example, some are interested in changing the narrative and being aware of the way in which that contributes to perpetuating a cycle of violence present in the criminal justice system, while others prioritize the experience and thoughts of individuals with personal ties to the justice system.
Given that my project deals mostly with (ethically sourced) urine samples and chemicals, I think the biggest ethical issue that I deal with on a daily basis in in the collection of data. As we run the same test on many samples, we routinely encounter outliers that do not fit our expected results. It is then up to us as researchers to decide whether those outliers are a result of human error or a measurement that truly limits our findings. While it is easy to chalk it up to human error, it can create potentially disastrous outcomes in the long run. As such, my research group has taken care to run adequate further testing on any outliers that arise to ensure that we feel fully confident in the data that we collect.
In a "basic science" project, it is hard to consider alternative viewpoints. In fact, ideally, a researcher would probably not have a viewpoint at all and allow the data to speak for itself. However, I have often heard experienced scientists refer to their projects as stories as they piece together the parts that create a full narrative of whatever they investigate. Much like writers with a literary narrative, it can be for scientists to "kill their babies," or discard pieces that they have spent time and energy fitting into the story. Yet over the course of the past couple weeks. I have come to realize that that is a necessary part of truly objective science; it is the only way to ensure that the story being presented comes from an objective viewpoint, rather than the scientist's own.
I think your point about story crafting in science is quite interesting because often times scientists have to balance presenting their objective results but also making those results seem interesting so that the information becomes more widely spread through publications or conferences. Obviously, if a breakthrough is made the data will speak for itself, but it largely is the titles or headlines that will circulate in the wider public. This makes the story telling aspect becomes even more important so that the actual results are what is understood and presented, not confusion or misinformation surrounding the story telling.
Coincidentally, my research topic is ethics itself. On the substantive level, I am trying to apprehend basic ethical questions regarding the nature of good, right, and wrong. I address these sorts of questions by reading the thoughts of my predecessors in the field. Evaluating the merit of their arguments is a complicated feat as it is, perhaps, impossible for any philosophical inquiry to provide the complete answer to any question. When I read and absorb differing perspectives, I attempt to simultaneously occupy my own perspective and perspectives that are not my own. Through this method, I am able to generate a set of objections and concerns that provide a worthy challenge to the philosophical outlook that I am examining.
To answer the ethical question on a level that precedes my substantive work, a difficulty that I must deal with is the charitable representation of work with which I disagree. In my discipline, it is always important to treat the arguments of others with earnest respect, even if the conclusions one encounters are seemingly wrong or repugnant. When I am taking notes on a particular philosopher, I try to thoroughly capture their thesis and supporting arguments while also making note of my own outlook on what I have read. This way, I can provide a substantive and compelling rebuttal to the conclusions that I find disagreeable.
As I have discussed a bit above, accounting for alternative perspectives is the bulk of the work that one must undertake in philosophy. Even if I am to encounter a stance that I find disagreeable, there is a good chance that the stance (or the disagreement that I have with it) will provide my own position a stronger foundation for argumentation. Alternative viewpoints may provide the impetus for a radical shift in position that I would have otherwise not considered. When writing a strong piece of philosophy, it is often good practice to include the refutations made by different perspectives so that one may demonstrate that one's position is worth taking seriously in light of the challenges of others.
I really appreciate you talking about disagreeing with some of the work you are reading! While I myself am not doing humanities related research, it is still very easy to cherry-pick the studies that showcase the results you want to expect when there's a lot more inconsistency and uncertainty in the field.
I also like how you recognize the value of disagreeing and using that stance to help your own. There is growth in disagreeing!
At this time in my project, there are not many ethical issues as I am mainly working with cell lines and DNA samples, but I anticipate as our project shifts from in vitro to in vivo studies involving mice models, I will have to grapple with the ethics of animal testing. However, from what I've read and experienced in previous labs I've worked in, animal testing is a very rigorous process that always seeks to minimize the suffering and distress of the animal subjects.
As we are trying to discern the exact effects that kinase inhibitors have on cancer cell physiology and viability, we are reading through a lot of the current literature on the subject to understand how different researchers have approached quantifying their observations. We are incorporating multiple procedures and methods as such in order to ensure that our results are thorough and informative.
Sankrith this research sounds so interesting, I think that animal testing always has complicated ethics involved. I like though that you are aware of this and are looking to minimize distress. There is certainly a net positive result that will come out of your research making it important to still understanding such implications.
At this stage and with my current research focus (astrophotography), I don't think there are any ethical issues. The main ethics debate surrounding astrophotography relates to copyright issues; however, all contributing parties will be credited once any photos are published.
Multiple times! I've considered a range of different softwares and cameras in my investigation for the best end-product. Looking at these viewpoints definitely gave me a broader sense of the field and the time/expertise it has taken to produce a good image. Through this, I gave myself a more tangible goal using skills I already had to further my investigation and set a more realistic end goal.
Erica, I can imagine the difficulty in producing a good image within astrophotography. It's great that you are looking at multiple viewpoints through different softwares and cameras to gain a more holistic perspective. Good luck with your project!
As we prepare for our trip to Kiritimati island, I find it important to remember that there are actual people and communities that will be impacted by the findings of our research. This not only serves as a driving source of motivation, but also raises the question of how we can be sensitive to other communities as we conduct research and in-situ radiation measurements. When our group and mentor traveled to the Kiribati consulate two weeks ago, they noted how the community on Kiritimati island may be concerned by our research (especially as the population is quite small and word travels fast).
Although our current research seems to focus primarily on more technical aspects as of right now, such as developing a data analysis framework for the radiation detector, as next summer approaches, we will have to address the ethical questions that will inevitably arise with conducting fieldwork in an area with a pre-existing community and population.
I completely resonate with your reflections. It is crucial to remember that, as researchers, our work ultimately revolves around the lives and well-being of real people. We must never lose sight of this fundamental truth and become so engrossed in our research that we forget the humanity at the heart of our studies. Maintaining this awareness ensures that our work remains compassionate, ethical, and truly beneficial to those we aim to help.
As I was prepping the mice for a behavioral task, one of them started having a seizure. The mouse was uncontrollably convulsing in the cage, hurting itself and its co-specifics. My post-doc mentor said quite simply that we had to euthanize the mouse. Objectively and scientifically, I understood why. One, the mouse was suffering and its seizures could get worse. And two, the seizures would introduce a confounding variable in our study of early life stress. Still, this instance really brought to light the ethical issues of conducting research with living things. Even with our training and strict protocols, it is especially important to interact with organisms--insects, fish, mice, etc--with grace and appreciate their contributions to science and human health.
I am currently studying how early life stress impacts the performance of mice on two tasks: sociability and social memory. Few studies have studied these behavioral tasks in the context of early life stress, which has made finding research related to ELS and social memory difficult. At the same time, however, learning the ways in which these tasks are employed in other branches of neuroscience has really enriched my understanding of sociability and social memory. I am also more encouraged to contribute my own research as there is a knowledge gap with understanding social memory with ELS.
Tara, this sounds like such a challenging experience. I think an interesting takeaway from the euthanasia is that sometimes the right thing to do is genuinely the best thing for the study. There are far too many case studies of tragically unethical research being conducted in the name of the advancement of science. It's reassuring to know that we don't always have to make a trade off between morality and good scientific practice.
1. My research poses several ethical questions that I have, with the support of my supervisor, grappled with. The first is that my research focuses on a particularly vulnerable population in a region where protections for them are minimal. LGBTQ+ individuals everywhere in the world are a vulnerable population, but moreso in many African countries where regressive laws still prohibit identifying as queer, engaging with queer rights organizations, etc. Because of this, I've had to think about the best ways of protecting the identity of my respondents, while still ensuring that I obtain useable data and information about the work they do in LGBTQ+ rights organizations.
2. At the moment, I'm working on my literature review. This is a process that demands engagement and interaction with the viewpoints of scholars within the fields of political science, human rights studies and gender and sexuality studies. The objective of this is to leverage these varying viewpoints to ground my own research. I've also taken the viewpoints of several friends into account. I talk to them about my research and they help me work through analyses and perspectives that I'm trying to classify or articulate, enriching my understanding of the literature I'm interacting with.
Your comment about inviting your friends to join your conversations is a good approach! It's great to speak with those who aren't investigating your research question in depth to get their ideas and thoughts to fill in possible gaps that someone you want to present to in the future might ask! Excited to see what you find.
1. One of the main ethical issues in my research involves the use of census records, which historically have not always accurately reflected the entire population, particularly marginalized communities such as Black people. The representation in our data is accurate in that we individually source & compare our findings to ensure our digitization efforts are in real-time. However, to address the lack of knowledge on specific people who were residents of certain NYC boroughs, we are ensuring that our case studies explicitly acknowledge these gaps, highlighting the people and communities who were not captured in the official records (i.e. enumeration districts). Additionally, I am cross-referencing other historical documents and books to fill in these gaps for my personal research goals, aiming for a more inclusive representation of the past.
2. In my research, I have actively considered alternative viewpoints, particularly those from the communities represented in the historical data. I am looking to engage with local historians, archivists, librarians, museums, etc. to incorporate and provide a richer, more nuanced understanding of the demographic and industrial changes in areas like Jamaica, Queens (currently the site I am working on). These perspectives will enrich my research by revealing the lived experiences behind the data, offering a more holistic view of historical urban development. I am eager to explore other methods to support our efforts in making our atlas public for both researchers and the community in a way that has not been done before.
I totally agree that engaging with different voices can only make one's research better, breaking pre-conceived notions and contributing to a more inclusive endeavor. It is amazing how you approach your work with cross-referencing and in-depth research in order to create an accurate, ethical depiction of the past. I look forward to seeing what you discover!
Thank you Kate, you too!
In my work within a clinical setting focused on children and genetic testing, ethics play a central role. As a researcher, I want to encourage families to have their children participate in genetic testing that may provide them with crucial insights into their children's disorders, but also has the potential to boost our understanding of how pathogenic variants of certain genes impact children differently than adults. This information then can be used to improve treatments and interventions so that they can be tailored specifically for pediatric patients in the future. However, genetic testing presents ethical dilemmas for families, such as the potential discovery of a positive mutation that could adversely affect the child's ability to obtain health insurance and the psychological impact of such a finding. As a researcher, you must navigate this fine line carefully. It is imperative not to pressure families into participating in your study or pursuing a care path that may solely benefit your research. Instead, you must prioritize the well-being and autonomy of the families, ensuring they are fully informed and supported in making decisions that are best for their children. This ethical consideration is crucial in maintaining trust and integrity in your research and clinical practice.
While delving into the treatment of children with different types of cardiomyopathy at Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, I discovered that providing tailored care to children with this diagnosis, rather than applying adult protocols, is a relatively new practice. This shift in care has been widely supported, with few dissenting viewpoints regarding the need to improve and adapt pediatric care. However, genetic testing in children raises ethical concerns, as these young patients may not fully comprehend the implications and are vulnerable in this regard. Despite this, genetic testing can be highly beneficial for their personal health, offering physicians a clearer understanding of the underlying causes of their symptoms, particularly in relation to their heart. Therefore, I consider the alternative viewpoint that views genetic testing for affected children in a negative light throughout my research, as I believe it keeps me grounded in my true goals and passions. The most crucial perspective in medicine is to see the patient as an individual in need of care, rather than as a research subject with the primary focus being on the dignity and well-being of the children. Having this perspective ensures that I will never be led astray by pushing children and their families down a path that benefits my research rather than their best interests.
Tatum, I think that your point about not pressuring people you are engaging with in a research context is super important, and relevant in the humanities as well! In documenting lesser-known history, personal accounts can be really valuable and contribute a lot towards research. However, it is essential to respect people’s boundaries and understand what they are willing and not willing to share, or what studies they are willing to participate in.
At my current position in the Justice Lab I have not found myself examining many ethical issues. I am mostly editing transcripts and recordings. However, now I am also researching historical facts that show Pennsylvania's tie to slavery and racism in the criminal justice system. When examining such historical narratives, I think it is important that I consider proper sources and remember that this history carries a great legacy that impacts modern day communities.
In my personal research project for the Justice Lab, I am considering different lens' and how to explore certain topics while keeping a clear narrative. Due to this, I have considered many alternate viewpoints and am currently needing to decide how to address these. Will I want to take a more people focused approach and hone in on the sociology aspects of my research or will I want to dive into politics and configure my research around alternative questions?
Hi Shreya, I found your take on ethics in social research to be very similar to my own. I agree that in handling such issues we must use proper judgment to respect their legacies in our current society. In the social sciences, we have this massive disconnect between the work we are doing and the impact it has on people. But by remembering that our work could shape policy and society, we gain a deeper appreciation for our work which makes it all the more relevant. I'm excited to see how you continue your work with the Justice Lab!
I believe there are many inherent ethical dilemmas involved with historical research. Many of the papers I am reading are from a period in time when the platform to express oneself was afforded to a select few. It can be troubling to use such accounts when I know they are so deeply inherently biased. I try to mitigate this by making disclaimers about the credibility of the speakers, and when focusing on the issue of abortion, I include religious, social, political, and philosophical perspectives.
As my research has progressed, I have definitely had to consider alternative viewpoints. My understanding of political activity in the past continuously develops as I develop a timeline of events. Sometimes, I will stumble across a paper that forces me to re-evaluate aspects of my argument. Though this can be frustrating, I also feel this reconsideration enriches my research by allowing me to fully-flesh out my arguments.
Evangeline, that is so interesting! Honestly, I have never thought about the fact that historical documents can be biased since only a few people could record the information that we are using nowadays. I am excited to hear how you cope with this issue in more details. Getting objective information from the sources is such an important part of the project and I feel that unfortunately it is often neglected by people who are not deeply involved in the research.
Thanks for your insightful addition Valeriya, best of luck with your work as well!
Our research involves working with people who live in the place where nuclear weapon testing was carried out. First ethical issue that I encountered was reading the reports about contamination on the islands. The more papers I read, the more safety violations I found out. This seems very disturbing, and this reassures me that working on a project that is connected with nuclear weapons always has some ethical issues. Another issue is mostly related to the next summer. We are going to the island to make actual measurements. And in the case our findings confirm that it is dangerous to live and consume food on the island, we will have to report it to the government and convince them to invest in solving this problem as well as work closely with the local population.
As of right now I can’t do anything to resolve such issues as manipulating the data and concealing the facts that were done previously, but I hope my research will provide more information for analysis and thus will help people to get more trustworthy conclusions.
I don’t think I ever considered a different view point. I have always been against manipulating the data - I think each scientist has a responsibility to report everything they learnt and by no means intentionally change the interpretation of the data or the data itself.
Valeriya! I completely agree with all the points you mentioned, manipulating data and the local people is awful. Addressing this extreme ethical concern at the root of your research is admirable and certainly information I would like to see more attention on. The aftermath of nuclear weapon testing results in terrible consequences for both the people and the environment. Keep up the great work and I am interested in seeing the data come out!
What are some of the ethical issues that you are grappling with in your research? What are some of the ways in which you are responding to these questions?
An ethical issue that has been important for me to consider is how my research topics still manifest themselves today, and being careful and cognizant of discussion of negative racial stereotypes and portrayals. For example, I have been reading a book on the practice of yellowface, or using makeup, costumes, and other props to imitate Asian people, specifically in the context of the period of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. Even though it may seem like these stereotypes are very outdated and we would never encounter them today, the author provides occasional examples of modern yellowface. This signified to me in the importance of taking care when discussing history, especially American, because it is all much more recent and relevant than we may think at first glance.
As you continue your research, have you considered alternative viewpoints in your investigation? If so, how have these alternative viewpoints enriched or changed your project?
So far when focusing on films, I have mostly been looking at negative portrayals of Chinese Americans in films made by white and European filmmakers. However, an alternative viewpoint that I am looking forward to exploring is how films made by Chinese Americans presented a differing response to the exclusionary policies of the time period. This will enrich my project by showing how film was not only a medium used for gatekeeping and exclusion, but that more nuanced stories by a variety of individuals were also told through film in this era. By exploring this alternative side of filmmaking, my project will be able to discuss multiple sides of the same historical time period and events, which is something I think is very important when conducting historical investigations.
Approaching a sensitive topic like this mindfully is of course important, but it also seems like something that requires quite a bit of thought. I admire the effort that you're putting into ensuring that your research remains accurate and ethical.
Currently, my research is focused on reading experimental psychology studies which does not have many ethical concerns. However, when I conduct my research in the fall I will be working with human subjects which raises ethical issues about structuring scenarios and framing questions while also being mindful and respectful. If I chose to create a scenario to test the threshold of forgiveness, I would also need to be explicit in laying the guidelines for informed consent and disclosing the processes of the experiment to researchers. To respond to these questions, I have been working with my faculty advisor and reviewing ethical guidelines to design my experiment.
Originally my research was focused on the intersection of the Asian American identity with the concept of forgiveness from a philosophical lens. Yet, as I have considered several sources and other viewpoints my project has narrowed its scope to Korean American communities with a focus on the health impacts of religion, acculturation, and levels of forgiveness. It has been enriching to explore beyond my intended beginnings to reach a more comprehensive view of the way forgiveness manifests itself in the Asian diaspora.
Justin, I wholeheartedly agree with, and relate to, your concerns for ethical framing of questions during interviewing. It is very important to take into account the populations we are studying and not only think about what is or isn't relevant, but also what things might involuntarily cause harm, or regurgitate past trauma. I am sure your faculty advisor will be of much help in finding these questions! Best of luck :)
Currently, I am not dealing with a lot of ethical issues necessarily as I am reading papers to complete my literature review. I believe that my experience and past knowledge with my topic, as well as the current political happenings surrounding asylum in the US, have impacted my bias when vetting sources to read. In order to have a comprehensive lit. review, I am going to be focusing on analyzing the argument and content of my sources rather than try to argue with them, especially in the early stages, so that I am able to look back at my notes and take the original source for what it is, and what it represents.
Yes, as my topic has been discussed from different schools of thought and different areas in the world, I will still take into account a social work paper, for example, about UK asylum-seekers, or a philosophical perspective on refugeeness as a whole because they can offer great theoretical content, as well as different interpretations of common themes and trends we see in the US, and NYC.
Gersely, I'm so glad you brought up the point about how not every stage of our research will have an ethical issue. I feel the same way! I'm excited to learn more about what philosophical perspectives can offer on the concept of refugeeness, since this is very relevant throughout all areas of the world. To what extent are refugees alienated from the areas they reside in, or do they also shape the meaning of that area's cultural and geological landscape?
What are some of the ethical issues that you are grappling with in your research? What are some of the ways in which you are responding to these questions?
My project involves mapping phytoplankton growth using the NASA CbPM ocean colors dataset and with a hands-on portion, investigating the optimal temperature, pH, and CO2 conditions for phytoplankton growth. One ethical issue with the hands-on portion is whether phytoplanktons can be grown (and left dying) for the utilitarian sake of experiments by humans, especially for a cause like anthropologically induced climate change. I'd resolve this dilemma because the goal of our project is to create a framework for future scientists to model the impacts of global warming on marine biological carbon sequestration, which has far more beneficial impacts than the harms of phytoplankton deaths.
As you continue your research, have you considered alternative viewpoints in your investigation? If so, how have these alternative viewpoints enriched or changed your project?
I have considered different factors that can impact phytoplankton growth, such as the isopycnals in oceans (density layers). Ocean water density can have an impact on where deep chlorophyll maximum occurs, where most phytoplankton growth takes place. However, after consulting with my PI, we concluded that this would not be a significant factor to alter the experiment because marine water density is almost uniform at the photic zone, where light can penetrate the ocean and allow photosynthesis to take place. Therefore, we decided to focus on the more important factors, like temperature, pH, and CO2.
In using audio cues for both perceptual and VMI trials in our experiment, and in working with human subjects, various ethical issues come up. In terms of the audio, we have taken measures to ensure that the sound decibel is in a safe range, as well as coded in an audio calibration trial which allows each participant to adjust the volume levels to what is most comfortable for them. In terms of working with human subjects, we have consent forms which provide informed consent, demographic forms, as well as a debriefing form after the experiment is completed.
We have had to consider various viewpoints, especially when coding within Psychopy. Sometimes, the code may not work in the way we had expected, and we need to make alterations constantly to both the code and the experiment. Overall, being flexible and understanding different viewpoints to solve a problem in the experiment has allowed me to learn a lot and develop my problem-solving skills.
In terms of ethical issues that have come up within my research, I have not encountered any throughout the past few weeks in terms of my own research processes. My process is primarily focused on reading sources that are freely available to the public and not really interacting with other people or entities that would raise ethical concerns. On the other hand, the content within my research raises ethical concerns that the U.S government performed during their occupation of Haiti.
Yes, during my research I've grappled with the perspective that my project is centered on. Ideally, I would want a primarily Haitian focus because my goal is to examine their classical education system. On the other hand, most of the information I have been able to find is from a U.S perspective because their documents and sources are more readily available. This is a struggle for me because the goal is to amplify Haitian voices and sometimes I feel like they are not getting the research time they deserve in this project.