Standard: Developing a Value Literate Culture in Science

Kansas State University, Manhattan KS

Investigators

Abstract

This project explores an underexamined cultural aspect of Responsible Conduct in Research (RCR) -- the Goals and Values of Science (GVS) that inform everyday scientific practice. Examples of such practices include identifying a research topic, designing a research plan that will yield robust evidence, and selecting and recruiting research participants. By contrast, RCR training courses typically focus on narrow, rule-based prohibitions, an approach which has been shown to have limited scope and impact. This project is important because it moves beyond the limits of institutionalized, rule-based ethical proscriptions and into the heart of what scientists think and value. Moving in this direction has potential to open a new line of research between philosophy of science with educational research on RCR. Operationally, the project involves two research strands. Strand I involves the creation of a set of guided deliberations that will be used with a cohort of 15 science faculty. These deliberations explore how GVS might better motivate scientists to engage in RCR, to reason ethically, and to integrate GVS into their teaching, research, and mentoring. The guided deliberations will be examined to evaluate their effects on scientists' motivation and reasoning about RCR and their literacy about GVS topics. Relations among these factors will also be examined. Building on this work, Research Strand 2 involves the development of a survey instrument to study attitudes towards GVS among a much wider group of faculty, post-doctoral researchers, graduate students, and undergraduates. An initial version of the survey instrument will be piloted with 40 STEM professionals. The team will conduct interviews with these participants about their interpretations of the survey. A revised version of the survey will then be disseminated to approximately 300 STEM professionals and students. Analyses will examine whether attitudes regarding GVS topics differ across fields and groups, and to see if GVS attitudes correlate with motivations to engage in RCR. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.