Scientific Integrity and Science Museums

Scientific epistemology—the goals and methods of science—carries with it an implicit ethical framework that can provide a basis for professional judgment and behavior and inform museums' treatment of ethical dilemmas. This article reviews case studies of scientific ethical dilemmas within science museums and critically examines four operating models by which to approach such dilemmas. These include a business model, an entertainment model, and an education model. A proposed fourth model recommends that science museums view themselves as stewards of science, and it reinterprets the others in light of the underlying ethical framework and its corresponding "scientific virtues," particularly scientific integrity. This approach will not solve all ethical questions but it will maintain a focus on the museum's core values

Engineering ethics · Entertainment · Epistemology · Ethical issues · Political science · Scientific modelling · Sociology · Aesthetic Perception and Analysis · Empathy and Medical Education · Engineering · Law · Museums and Cultural Heritage · Philosophy