An Associational Approach to the Professional Ethics of Science in Iran

Amongst the professional tasks of scientific associations are conveying scientific discipline-based values as the most important task, as well as transmitting historical and traditional values of the society to their members. In order to address the task role of scientific associations with regard to professional ethics of science, semi-structured interview with activists and members of scientific associations was used. The analysis of researchfindings shows that in spite of the very high sensitivity of scientific associations in Iran to the ethics of science issue, no significant activity has been done in associations toward promotion of professional ethics of science. On the one hand the marginal status of scientific associations in the structure of the Iran's scientific space, their abandonment and instrumental use along with structural deficiencies within the associations and low associational participation have undermined their function with regard to professional ethics, and on the other hand the scientific misconduct facilitating policies and policy maker's silence against the prevalence of these misconducts have entailed the formation of a marathon of science production instead of doing science, and thus the abandonment of professional ethics in science. Finally, two groups of process and structural strategies are presented to improve the professional ethics of science status from association approach.