Chapter 15 - Ethics

Abstract

Good ethics help establish environments in which people can feel assured that a certain moral standard is upheld. Project ethics relate to everything concerning conduct of a project, such as decision-making, documentation and compliance with regulations. Many project regulations exist and make it easier to adhere to a unified ethical code. These vary depending on geographical location and project; there are specific regulations for research using human subjects/specimens, animals, plants, and microorganisms. Good ethics allows trust in researchers, their methods, and conduct. It helps ensure that there is no spread of private information or research organisms. By adhering to set ethical standards society achieves a general level of safety and a belief that things are being done the right way. Because character ethics concerns personal behavior, it has widespread influence, including in the realm of project ethics. To practice good ethics one needs to be able to make decisions with deliberation, carefully perform research and analyze results, be honest, and comply with regulations. One should respect people's privacy and personal boundaries, keep confidential matters confidential, conduct himself or herself in a professional manner, and know when and where to address legal matters. Finally, one must keep professional and private lives separate, not tolerate discrimination or harassment, keep thorough records, and behave professionally when traveling and representing one's company.