The Evolving Role of an Embedded Ethicist in the Standardization of Knowledge Management Practices

The increasing interdependency and inter-relatedness of the diverse forms of experimental research conducted across the life sciences has underscored the need for scientists to indulge in more collaborative and integrative research. This realization, coupled with the revolutionary Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), have together, facilitated the widespread sharing and exchange of research across geographical, institutional, disciplinary and sub-disciplinary borders. However, while these developments have promoted cross-talk and collaboration, they have also upended the traditional yet starkly differing practices of knowledge management (KM) inherent to each discipline. Consequentially, there is a need to modify and tune these diverse normative practices of digitally conducting, storing, sharing and exchanging research findings inherent to each sub-discipline towards a common, unified, standard set of research practices. Such an effort is being undertaken by the Gene Regulation Consortium (GRECO) in order to, establish a standard framework for knowledge management practices in this field. GRECO is intended to serve as a common platform for diverse stakeholders connected by their interest in knowledge pertaining to Gene Regulation. This platform will enable interaction, discussion, arguments, as well as, negotiations arising from an awareness of the contrasting research needs, practices and cultures. The role of the embedded ethicist, as I have identified is to, 1. observe and interact with the different stakeholders of the gene regulation community connected by an overarching research interest and their desires for research progress; 2. identify their diverse perspectives and the underlying, imminent ethical nuances arising from this initiative to standardize KM practices; 3. convey these ethical issues to the stakeholders; and 4. facilitate a decision making process to resolve these ethical dilemmas in a responsible manner, if and when they do occur. However, in the life sciences community, ‘ethics’ has more popularly been associated with real time, more pressing, controversial issues arising in medical practice; research involving human subjects; or even the misuse, falsification or misrepresentation of scientific research and data. As a result, a general presumption, within the gene regulation community is that as long as their research does not include human subjects, there out to be fewer ethical concerns. Another general presumption lies in the belief that with increase in technological mediation, all problems that arise from collaboration and standardization will have technical solutions. in this talk, I will discuss how such existing notions attached to ethics within the gene regulation community have modified the role and work of the embedded ethicist.