Good Scientific Conduct in Post-Normal Science

This paper investigates the relationship between ethics and different forms of science activities. Academic science, industrial science, professional consultancy, and science-based advice are all different problem-solving strategies. What counts as good scientific problem-solving and hence scientific misconduct is specific to the type of scientific practice being undertaken. In academic science, misconduct is defined as severe violations of Robert Merton’s ethos of academic science (CUDOS). However, CUDOS does not account for science’s responsibilities for decision-making in the political sphere, and only focus on good scientific practice in a narrower sense. This is not the case when we enter the political decision-making regarding technological risk, where scientific activities are entangled with society, its institutions and stakeholders.