The Multiple Ethics of Science

Science communication sits funnily between the sciences and the humanities, sometimes pulled in one direction, sometimes in the other. This chapter focuses on the science side by considering three ways ethics and norms have already been included in science and the scientific process. These are the Mertonian norms of science which focus on science itself, the participant-centred bioethical principles that are generally applied to all research involving humans, and finally, the more recent Responsible Research and Innovation move, which is more broadly socially and environmentally concerned. The chapter closes with a discussion on the importance of communication in each of these.