Week of Sept 30th: Research Ethics

This week, Team Kenan spoke with members of the Duke community about the ethics of research and the role of ethics in innovation. Many students focused on the ethical use and interpretation of data.

“Science should not be politically informed, politics should be scientifically informed” one student said. Another student supported this idea, adding “the conclusion [in research] should come from the data, not the other way around”.

“If we questioned everything in research, would we be in the place we are today as a society?” a student involved in research at Duke asked. This student’s question represents the popular opinion that progress resulting from research can be more important than the ethics. Students had differing opinions about where this ethical “line” was in research, many believing that it depended on research subjects’ consent. Most believed that research was overall good because it led to innovation and new ideas. “If you have a question, you should try to answer it [through research,]” a student said. A large portion of the students we spoke to were involved in research in some way, and most who weren’t hoped to get involved while at Duke.

Next week, Team Kenan will be couching on cultural exchange and cultural appropriation. You can find our couching times and locations here. Come talk to us about your ideas!