Ethics in engineering practice and research

Engineers encounter difficult ethical problems in their practice and in research. In many ways, these problems are like design problems: they are complex, often ill-defined; resolving them involves an iterative process of analysis and synthesis; and there can be more than one acceptable solution. This book offers a real-world, problem-centered approach to engineering ethics, using a rich collection of open-ended scenarios and case studies to develop skill in recognizing and addressing ethical issues Engineers encounter difficult ethical problems in their practice and in research. In many ways, these problems are like design problems: They are complex and often ill-defined; resolving them involves an iterative process of analysis and synthesis; and there can be more than one acceptable solution. This book offers a real-world, problem-centered approach to engineering ethics, using a rich collection of open-ended scenarios and case studies to develop skill in recognizing and addressing ethical issues. Introduction to ethical concepts : Values and value judgments -- Moral rights and moral rules -- Moral character and responsibility -- Privacy, confidentiality, intellectual property, and the law. Ethics as design : doing justice to ethical problems -- The basis and scope of professional responsibility -- Central professional responsibilities of engineers -- Two models of professional behavior : Roger Boisjoly and the Challenger, William LeMessurier's fifty-nine story crisis -- Workplace rights and responsibilities -- Responsibility for research integrity -- The responsibility of investigators for experimental subjects -- Responsibility for the environment -- Fair credit in research and publication -- Credit and intellectual property in engineering practice -- Epilog : Making a life in engineering and science