Achievement

In spring semester 2013, the Wind Energy IGERT ethics seminar entitled Ethics of Science, Engineering & Society consisted of four two-hour sessions, using case studies to review topics related to research misconduct, science and society, and intellectual property. At each session, discussion groups were asked to come to a consensus for a case study on the ethical issue at hand and to suggest an appropriate course of action to address the situation. Students were assigned to interdisciplinary teams to review the unique case studies assigned to and discussed by each group who then presented a summary of their assigned case study and ensuing discussion.

Topics included definitions of ethics; research misconduct; conflict of interest; intellectual property rights; data falsification and fabrication; plagiarism; animal and human subjects research issues; the ownership of scientific data; assignment of credit; proprietary information; and self-regulation of the wind energy industry.