case study ethics

Ethical Action in Global Research

Case examples.

• Global Research
• Ethical Stories

In reviewing case studies and examples brought to our workshops by researchers, it is clear that:

Ethical issues in global research are extremely complex.

Solutions are rarely simple or perfect. They need to be contextually relevant if they are to work.

It may be that a ‘fully worked’ solution is not clear but that parts of the solution will give enough traction to begin a process of resolution.

Different individuals and different groups often come to different conclusions. Both may follow a principled stance but make different justifiable choices at a number of decision-making points. Some solutions might be a better fit for different research teams, depending on the skills and expertise of each member.

Ethical decision making is more than following a set of rules. It should be about being open to exploring a range of possibilities, each of which may be ethical but may have different implications and may have different pragmatic constraints. 

Ethical issues emerge across all stages of the research journey and may change over time. 

Helpful questions in finding a solution include:

                     - What might have pre-empted the issue (this is relevant to future proofing)?

                     - What were the early warning signs?

                     - How could key issues be assessed once they have arisen?

                     - What should be the immediate response?

                     - What should be the follow-up response at each subsequent stage of the research journey?

Case Analysis Template

We have developed a template to help your team analyse ethical conflicts and look for solutions. This template highlights the importance of considering all phases of the research journey. It also highlights the importance of considering Place, People, Principles and Precedent both in the analysis and in the search for solutions.

Please see the case examples below. We do not claim that these examples are applicable to different contexts. We know that ethical conflicts need to be analyzed according to their own context. What works in one place can be disastrous in another.

Case Study 1

• Read more about Case Study 1

Case Study 2 and 3 (Paper: COVID-19)

In this paper we offered two case analyses  to exemplify the utility of the toolkit as a flexible and dynamic tool to promote ethical research in the context of COVID-19.

The paper was published as: Clara Calia , Corinne Reid , Cristóbal Guerra , Abdul-Gafar Oshodi , Charles Marley , Action Amos , Paulina Barrera & Liz Grant (2020): Ethical challenges in the COVID-19 research context: a toolkit for supporting analysis and resolution, Ethics & Behavior, DOI: 10.1080/10508422.2020.1800469 

• Read more about Case Study 2 and 3 (Paper: COVID-19)

Case Study 4: Facing an ethical breach

• Read more about Case Study 4: Facing an ethical breach

Case Study 5: Protecting vulnerable groups (in English and Spanish)

Case 5 (en Español)    Case 5

• Read more about Case Study 5: Protecting vulnerable groups (in English and Spanish)

Case Study 6: Data interpretation and consent

• Read more about Case Study 6: Data interpretation and consent

Case Study 7: Consent

• Read more about Case Study 7: Consent

Case Study 8: Research project development and engaging communities

• Read more about Case Study 8: Research project development and engaging communities

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Princeton Dialogues on AI and Ethics

Princeton University

Case Studies

Princeton Dialogues on AI and Ethics Case Studies

The development of artificial intelligence (AI) systems and their deployment in society gives rise to ethical dilemmas and hard questions. By situating ethical considerations in terms of real-world scenarios, case studies facilitate in-depth and multi-faceted explorations of complex philosophical questions about what is right, good and feasible. Case studies provide a useful jumping-off point for considering the various moral and practical trade-offs inherent in the study of practical ethics.

Case Study PDFs : The Princeton Dialogues on AI and Ethics has released six long-format case studies exploring issues at the intersection of AI, ethics and society. Three additional case studies are scheduled for release in spring 2019.

Methodology : The Princeton Dialogues on AI and Ethics case studies are unique in their adherence to five guiding principles: 1) empirical foundations, 2) broad accessibility, 3) interactiveness, 4) multiple viewpoints and 5) depth over brevity.