Ethical Issues in the Translation of Social Neuroscience: A Policy Analysis of Current Guidelines for Public Dialogue in Human Research

Abstract

Social neuroscience and its potential implications create an interesting case study for examining human research ethics policies on the topic of public communication of research. We reviewed mainstream national and international human research ethics guidelines and policies on issues of public communication of research. Our analysis relied on five thematic nets to capture the interactions between research and the public: public understanding, knowledge translation, public participation, social outcomes, and dual use. Coverage of these topics is sparse and inconsistent in mainstream policies and guidelines. We identify three options to address these gaps and analyze their strengths and weaknesses.

Keywords:

• neuroethics
• public communication
• public understanding
• research ethics
• social neuroscience

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors would like to acknowledge support from the Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. Thanks to Dr. Emily Bell and Nicole Palmour for feedback on earlier versions of this manuscript, as well as Adrian Carter and Simon Outram for advice and members of the Neuroethics Research Unit.