Conditions defining Informed or Valid Consent

 

 

a The consent is given voluntarily

 

b The consent is based on information a rational person would want, together with any other information requested and presented to them in understandable form.

c The  consenter  was  competent  to  process  the  information  and  make  rational decisions.

d Information has been widely disseminated.

 

e The subjects consent is offered by proxy by a group that collectively represents many subjects like interests, concerns and exposure to risk.

 

 

Engineering experiments are not conducted to gain new knowledge unlike scientific experiments. Is this distinction necessary?

 

 

This  distinction  is  not  vital  because  we  are  concerned  about  the  manner  iwhich  the experiment  is  conducted,  such  as  valid  consent  of  human  subjects  being  sought,  safety measures taken and means exist for terminating the experiment at any time and providing all participants a safe exit.

 

 

Features of morally responsible engineers in social experimentation

 

 

 

Conscientiousness: A primary obligation to protect the safety of human subjects and respect their right of consent.

Relevant  information:  A  constant  awareness  of  the  experimental  nature  of  any project, imaginative forecasting of its possible side effects and a reasonable effort to monitor them. Moral autonomy: Autonomous, personal involvement in all steps of the project. Accountability: Accepting accountability for the results of the project.