Chemical Ethics

There are literally hundreds of ethics policies applicable to chemical research.  Below are samples from the American Chemical Society, the National Science Foundation, and a collaboration of American Universities, Colleges, and Graduate Schools. Each college or university will also have its own policy statement. It is imperative that the researcher understand the basics of these policies in order to comply with them.

The Chemist's Code of Conduct.  Adopted by the Board of Directors of the American Chemical Society in June of 1994, this short document replaces the Chemist's Creed as the official principles of conduct for professional chemists.  The online version is at <http://www.acs.org/membership/conduct.html>.  

National Science Foundation Misconduct in Science and Engineering: Final Rule.  Ratified April, 1999.  Hosted on the web by UCSD at <http://www-ogsr.ucsd.edu/ethics/policy/nsf_policy.htm>.  

Framework for Institutional Policies and Procedures to Deal With Fraud in Research.  The framework arose out of collaboration among the Association of American Universities, the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges, and the Council of Graduate Schools with input from a number of federal and non-governmental organizations.  <http://www.aau.edu/reports/FrwkRschFraud.html>.

American Chemical Society Ethical Guidelines.  Published in several ACS journals in 1994; the online version dates from 1996 and is at <http://pubs.acs.org/instruct/ethic.html>. These guidelines are particularly relevant to scientists wanting to publish in ACS member publications, but there are also sections for editors, authors, reviewers, and scientists publishing outside of the scientific literature (i.e., in a "lay journal").

Duke University Policies and Procedures Governing Misconduct in Research. Effective November, 1995.  This site covers policies for all Duke researchers in any field of research, but with a focus on biomedical and the natural sciences.  Administered by the Office of Research Support at <http://www.ors.duke.edu/policies/miscond.htm>.

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