Ethics and Research

The honor in being elected to Sigma Xi is inextricably coupled
with responsibility, to use the knowledge that you have to better
the lot of humanity. And this is the hallmark of Sigma Xi in the 21st Century.

- Thomas F. Malone, Sigma Xi President 1988-1989
Former Foreign Secretary, National Academy of Sciences

We serve to facilitate bringing people together to address
these ethical issues and to understand what should be done, what
should not be done. My goal, with our programs, is to try to utilize
Sigma Xi's network to make sure that the good practices are taught and
the bad practices are identified

—John A. Ahearne, Sigma Xi Executive Director Emeritus and Emeritus Director, Ethics Program
Member, National Academy of Engineering

Excerpted from the documentary "Sigma Xi: Making a Difference in Science and Engineering." Hear about Sigma Xi's championing of ethics in research science and engineering. (0:57) PC users    Mac users

Since its founding in 1886, Sigma Xi has stressed that integrity is vital to the scientific process. As federal money has poured into research following World War II, scientific integrity has also become increasingly important in maintaining the public trust. Ethical conundrums are manifesting themselves in many areas of science and engineering research, from the laboratory bench to the corporate board room. The issues range from how research is conducted to the publication of research results, professional advancement, standards of judgment, compensation, relationships and commercial entities, management and appropriate credit for authorship. It is an area that scientists have often taken for granted, to the detriment of their younger colleagues and, eventually, their own work.

In addition to publishing articles on science and technology, Sigma Xi's award-winning magazine, American Scientist, has long been a forum for discussion of ethics and values in science. The 2000 and 1993 Sigma Xi national forums brought together leading researchers and policy-makers to focus on ethical issues in science and technology. The proceedings from these conferences have become valuable resources for ethics programs. First published in 1984 and reprinted several times, Sigma Xi's graduate student guidebook Honor in Science is required reading in many graduate programs. A companion booklet, The Responsible Researcher: Paths and Pitfalls (1999), covers issues that have arisen since Honor in Science was published and is designed for a broader audience that also includes faculty and administrators, as well as researchers and managers in industry, government, academia and non-governmental organizations.