April 1, 2011 (Vol. 31, No. 7)
URL:
http://www.research.umn.edu/ethics
Rating:
Strong Points: Clean site design, comprehensive curriculum
Weak Points: Nothing major
Summary:
Scientists sometimes unfairly downplay the importance of ethics seminars and courses, arguing that the content is simply “common sense.” And while some issues are more clear-cut than others, there are more than enough examples of ambiguous scenarios in the life sciences today that warrant close examination. Toward these goals—fostering increased awareness of ethical issues and providing resources to educators—the University of Minnesota has created a database of resources related to scientific ethics. One can search for instructional materials by keyword, and can further specify the type of data, the discipline involved, related issues, and format. Beyond simply providing a compilation of unrelated resources, the website also includes a complete curriculum and guide for course development including topics for discussion and case studies for a variety of topics.