Science and Engineering Ethics最新文献

{"title":"Time, Quality, and Integrity: Temporal Autonomy as a Missing Link in Research Assessment Reform.","authors":"Mads P Sørensen, Marina Lambert, Tine Ravn, Filip Vostal","doi":"10.1007/s11948-026-00588-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11948-026-00588-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This paper analyses temporality and the experience of increased speed in contemporary academia and its perceived influence on knowledge production. The study is grounded in theories of acceleration-related change in academia and examines the perceived effects of accelerated research processes on contemporary knowledge production, offering insights into the widespread use of questionable research practices (QRPs). Drawing on 36 focus group interviews with 172 researchers across seven European countries, the analysis reveals strikingly consistent perceptions of current reward and merit systems in academia, transcending differences in countries, disciplines, gender, and levels of seniority. These systems are widely perceived to reward speed and quantity at the expense of quality and integrity, thereby potentially undermining the robustness of the knowledge produced. The study thus shows a need for a stronger qualitative component in the assessment system, which aligns with the aims of the ‘research assessment reform movement’ (cf. DORA, CoARA). However, this paper argues that the research assessment reform movement needs to consider temporality in its efforts to reform research assessments. A stronger focus on ‘process time’ and ‘temporal autonomy’ is recommended to ensure that researchers and research units have adequate time to carry out all research tasks while maintaining integrity.</p>","PeriodicalId":49564,"journal":{"name":"Science and Engineering Ethics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13009029/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147312074","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Toward a Clearer Process for Value Sensitive Artificial Intelligence.","authors":"Christina Cociancig, Hendrik Heuer","doi":"10.1007/s11948-026-00583-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11948-026-00583-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Design approaches such as Value Sensitive Design (VSD) facilitate the alignment of technology design with societal and ethical values. VSD serves as a proactive and iterative framework for integrating ethical considerations into design, encompassing three interrelated types of investigations: conceptual investigations, which analyze relevant values and stakeholders; empirical investigations, which gather data about stakeholders’ experiences and value prioritization; and technical investigations, which focus on embedding these values into the functionality of technologies. This paper critically examines the application of VSD for artificial intelligence (AI) through a systematic literature review. By addressing VSD’s theoretical pillars and AI’s ambiguous boundaries, the study maps these complexities to the descriptions of the practical implementation in value sensitive AI (VSAI) literature. Our findings contribute to a comprehensive framework identifying practical and theoretical gaps, such as the operationalization of VSD’s tripartite methodology in AI contexts and value prioritization. We contribute a synthesis of recommendations from the literature as well as our own to fill these gaps and offer actionable strategies for future VSAI applications. Together, these insights clarify the current methodological landscape, and provide researchers with practical guidance in building value sensitive AI.</p>","PeriodicalId":49564,"journal":{"name":"Science and Engineering Ethics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12932356/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146195990","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Engineering Ethics Interventions and Assessments: A Systematic Literature Review.","authors":"Vandna Venkata Krishnan, Brady DeHoust, Glen Miller, Michael D Johnson, Bimal Nepal, Amarnath Banerjee","doi":"10.1007/s11948-026-00580-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11948-026-00580-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Engineers routinely face decisions with moral and ethical implications at the personal, professional, and societal levels. Recent events such as oil spills, product recalls, and infrastructure failures highlight the urgent need for stronger ethical standards in engineering education and practice. Although literature on science and engineering ethics continues to grow, much of it remains fragmented across disciplines and domains, making it difficult to assess the overall state of the field. This paper addresses this gap by conducting a systematic literature review of peer-reviewed studies on pedagogical approaches intended to contribute to ethical and responsible practice in engineering, published between 2013 and 2022. A total of 159 studies were analyzed and categorized according to whether they were interventions, assessments, or both, and, drawing from James R. Rest’s application of the component model of moral development to the professions, whether the desired learning outcome was moral awareness, ethical and professional knowledge, or moral reasoning. We also analyzed whether the research aimed to instill or measure ethical self-efficacy, confidence in one’s knowledge and skills related to ethical action, an attribute often considered in engineering education. The review provides an overview of the plurality of educational interventions and assessments and includes a brief description of each. Implications for educators, researchers, and practitioners are discussed, along with recommendations for future research and curriculum development.</p>","PeriodicalId":49564,"journal":{"name":"Science and Engineering Ethics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12975833/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146183209","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Morphospace, Responsibility and The Ethics of Form: A Model for Sustainable and Ethical Design.","authors":"Marco Tamborini","doi":"10.1007/s11948-026-00582-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11948-026-00582-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This paper proposes the integration of an ethical dimension into the concept and design of morphospace. This is traditionally used in paleontology, architecture, and bioengineering to visualize and generate theoretically possible forms given certain parameters. Drawing from Value-Sensitive Design (VSD) and Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI), I introduce a structured methodology to quantify and operationalize ethical considerations in morphospace. While current applications of morphospace focus on geometric and technological parameters, in this paper I propose a methodological extension that incorporates criteria of environmental sustainability and social impact. By intersecting value-sensitive design and bioinspired design, the paper develops therefore an approach that allows for the evaluation of engineered forms not only in terms of technical feasibility but also ethical responsibility. Moreover, the paper also highlights the need for interdisciplinary governance to constantly update ethical standards in bioengineering and architectural design. Finally, I discuss key challenges, including interdisciplinary standardization, computational complexity, and evolving ethical standards for implementing the ethical dimension in morphospace’s design. By transforming morphospace from a purely feasibility-driven model to one that incorporates ethical responsibility, this work aims therefore to bridge the gap between technological possibility and value-sensitive-practice in design and engineering.</p>","PeriodicalId":49564,"journal":{"name":"Science and Engineering Ethics","volume":" ","pages":"12"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12891064/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146144631","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ethical Considerations for Researchers' Well-Being in the Development Process of Virtual Reality Scenarios for Child Emotional Maltreatment.","authors":"Pia Keiski, Jari Kangas, Mikko Partanen, Tomi Nukarinen, Roope Raisamo, Eija Paavilainen","doi":"10.1007/s11948-026-00581-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11948-026-00581-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This paper aims to reflect on ethical considerations for the well-being of researchers involved in the development of virtual reality (VR) scenarios for parents who emotionally maltreat their children. Ethical considerations, particularly potential emotional strain, arose throughout the VR scenario development, including topic selection and content creation. However, despite the significance of these issues, existing literature addressing ethical challenges in researching sensitive topics from the researcher’s perspective has focused solely on data collection or analysis, overlooking the well-being of researchers involved in the development phase. To uphold high ethical standards, research should recognize and safeguard the well-being and safety of researchers throughout the study. In this methodological paper, the focus is on how an interdisciplinary team of researchers from technical and human sciences addressed the above concerns in biweekly reflective discussions. In these meetings, the team members shared their experiences and emotional reactions related to the development of VR scenarios simulating parents who were emotionally abusive toward their child. These reflective discussions created a secure environment for the researchers to process complex ethical issues and find emotional support, which is crucial for protecting their mental well-being from the outset of the project. The discussions contributed to strengthening the team’s overall well-being. In conclusion, this paper highlights the necessity of regular reflective meetings during the development phase to enhance the ethical quality of data gathering and reporting. In addition, engaging in team-based reflection improves researcher well-being and fosters ethical awareness. Reflective discussions have the potential to prevent vicarious traumatization by strengthening resilience when exposed to sensitive topics and addressing complex societal challenges.</p>","PeriodicalId":49564,"journal":{"name":"Science and Engineering Ethics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12948899/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146151101","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Convergences and Gaps between Environmental Ethics, Climate Ethics, and Research Ethics: A Scoping Review.","authors":"Michel Bourban, Dominic Lenzi, Mads P Sørensen, Rachel Fishberg, Jan Mehlich, Fabian Fischbach, José Luis Molina, Kasandra I H M Poague, Alexandra Csábi, Rose Heffernan, Rosie Hastings, Anaïs Rességuier","doi":"10.1007/s11948-025-00575-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11948-025-00575-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Technological innovation is a double-edged sword for the environment. While it can significantly reduce environmental and societal risks of harm, technological progress is often a major contributor to environmental degradation. This suggests the need for an anticipatory approach to research oversight which can mitigate the harmful and contradictory effects of research and innovation. In this article, we conduct a scoping review to identify cross-cutting concepts between environmental ethics, environmental justice, climate ethics, climate justice, and research ethics and integrity, focusing on literature on research and technological innovation. This article identifies an important gap between research ethics and these other topic areas. It also demonstrates the importance of updating existing research ethics frameworks to incorporate environmental concerns evident in environmental ethics and climate justice. Finally, it reveals an over-representation of studies focused upon climate change at the expense of other environmental issues, and of research on the ethics and governance of geoengineering, which we suggest is not a generalisable model for governance of research.</p>","PeriodicalId":49564,"journal":{"name":"Science and Engineering Ethics","volume":" ","pages":"11"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12835071/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145953754","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"AI Ethics Guidelines: Time to Include Animals.","authors":"Simon Coghlan, Christine Parker, Reeva Lederman","doi":"10.1007/s11948-025-00578-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11948-025-00578-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Artificial intelligence (AI) ethics guidelines make strong appeals for ensuring that AI benefits human beings without unjustifiably harming them. Yet these guidelines largely overlook AIs ethically relevant positive and negative impacts on sentient nonhuman animals. This paper argues that it is time to include sentient animals in AI ethics guidelines produced by governments, supranational and intergovernmental bodies, NGOs, academics, professional groups, for-profit corporations, and the like. AI ethics guidelines should explicitly and adequately include values and principles that protect and promote sentient animal interests. The case proceeds by considering five possible objections to recognising animals in these guidelines: 1) Animals and their interests are not significantly affected by AI; 2) Humans lack duties to protect or help animals; 3) Considering animals is overridden by more pressing duties to humans; 4) There is too much disagreement about how animals should be treated; 5) AI ethics guidelines are unhelpful or counterproductive. These objections, the paper argues, ultimately fail. A very important reason for being more inclusive of animals, it claims, is their ongoing moral and social invisibility. Paying more attention to sentient animals as morally significant interest-holders in the rapidly evolving AI ethics discourse would go one step towards redressing this problem of marginalisation. Finally, this paper makes broad suggestions for how animals might be appropriately incorporated in ethics guidelines.</p>","PeriodicalId":49564,"journal":{"name":"Science and Engineering Ethics","volume":" ","pages":"10"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12827453/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145935874","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Space Research Ethics.","authors":"Oskari Sivula, Mikko Puumala, Minna Palmroth","doi":"10.1007/s11948-025-00576-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11948-025-00576-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In this paper, we characterise the field of space research ethics and the moral and political landscape it operates on. To lay the groundwork for our ethical analysis, we begin by introducing the diverse ways space research is conducted in practice and by discussing ongoing changes in its operational environment. We note that space research is necessary to facilitate our modern way of life and is integral to green and digital transformation. Following that, we identify key space research ethical issues in different domains and suggest tentative elements that trigger the need for research to undergo ethical review, to forward discussion and debate. The difficulty is to find suitable guidelines that are defined clearly enough to be action-guiding but simultaneously broad enough to address the complexity and global nature of space research. In the long term, the most feasible approach may be to define a tailored set of research ethical guidelines for particular fields, particular space environments, and particular research goals. We further address how the collective and global nature of space activities adds additional layers of challenges regarding the research ethical responsibility of the scientific community. In this context, we suggest that research ethics is not only a set of specific moral codes developed as a professional ethic for researchers, but also an institutionalised way to guide and support research activities and the integrity of researchers to maintain trust within the research community and the society at large.</p>","PeriodicalId":49564,"journal":{"name":"Science and Engineering Ethics","volume":" ","pages":"9"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12827399/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145913578","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An Analysis of the Governance, Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications of Biocomputing.","authors":"Renée A Sirbu, Luciano Floridi","doi":"10.1007/s11948-025-00572-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11948-025-00572-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Biological computing (biocomputing) leverages biologically derived materials and processes, such as DNA and protein synthesis, to perform computational tasks. Biocomputing offers significant advantages over traditional silicon-based systems in terms of scalability, energy efficiency, computational flexibility, and information storage potential. However, the distinct operational characteristics of biocomputing raise novel governance, ethical, legal, and social implications (GELSI). This article identifies and analyzes key GELSI concerns raised by biocomputing. It then highlights the inadequacies of current regulatory frameworks in addressing the unique challenges posed by massively parallel molecular computations, biosafety risks, probabilistic error management in clinical applications, patentability of biological storage systems, and ownership rights in self-replicating data systems. The analysis concludes by recommending specialized regulatory approaches and international collaboration to govern biocomputing technologies responsibly, ensuring their ethical integration and equitable benefits across global societies.</p>","PeriodicalId":49564,"journal":{"name":"Science and Engineering Ethics","volume":" ","pages":"8"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12816112/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145893001","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ethical Impact Assessment: Theoretical Foundations, Methodology, and Applications.","authors":"Philip A E Brey","doi":"10.1007/s11948-025-00574-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11948-025-00574-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ethical impact assessment (EIA) is a structured approach to evaluating the ethical implications of technology and innovation. In recent years, it has gained momentum among policy-makers, research funders, and technology developers seeking more systematic ways to address ethical concerns. EIA was developed to fill key gaps in existing ethics and impact assessment frameworks by offering a method capable of identifying both current and anticipated ethical issues, particularly in relation to emerging technologies, and connecting these insights to real-world governance and decision-making processes. EIA is characterized by several defining features: a modular and systematic methodology, a forward-looking orientation, consideration of the entire technology lifecycle, a dedicated focus on emerging technologies, and intentional integration with technology governance. While EIA has seen growing uptake in practice, it remains underexplored in academic literature. This essay introduces EIA to scholarly audiences with the aim of fostering further research and interdisciplinary dialogue. It outlines the conceptual and methodological foundations of EIA, explores its practical application, charts its historical development and diffusion, situates it in relation to other ethics and impact assessment approaches, and reflects critically on its current limitations and future potential.</p>","PeriodicalId":49564,"journal":{"name":"Science and Engineering Ethics","volume":" ","pages":"6"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12808269/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145821782","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}