The ethics of expert communication

authored by
Hugh Desmond
Abstract

Despite its public visibility and impact on policy, the activity of expert communication rarely receives more than a passing mention in codes of scientific integrity. This paper makes the case for an ethics of expert communication, introducing a framework where expert communication is represented as an intrinsically ethical activity of a deliberative agent. Ethical expert communication cannot be ensured by complying with various requirements, such as restricting communications to one's area of expertise or disclosing conflicts of interest. Expert communication involves morally laden trade-offs that must be weighed by a deliberative agent. A basic normative framework is introduced, and concrete provisions are proposed for codes of scientific integrity.

Organisation(s)
Institute of Philosophy
Type
Article
Journal
BIOETHICS
Volume
38
Pages
33-43
No. of pages
11
ISSN
0269-9702
Publication date
22.12.2023
Publication status
Published
Peer reviewed
Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Health(social science), Philosophy, Health Policy
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
Electronic version(s)
https://doi.org/10.1111/bioe.13249 (Access: Open)