Users' Guide to the OEC
The OEC in the NAE Center for Engineering, Ethics, and Society has an overall format that is similar to its prior version, and it has incorporated much of the content from the previous site. The major users of the site have been faculty and students, who access OEC materials for course preparation and assignments. Other users are practitioners and researchers.
As in the prior site, the current version of the OEC has six major sections. However, they are organized differently. Two focus on "science, technology and society" topics: "Computers and New Technology," and "Safety and the Environment." One section contains a broad array of topics in "Education."
The three remaining sections are about issues in the conduct of science and engineering. They have the following titles: "Employment and Legal Issues," "Professional Practice," and "Responsible Research." The "Employment and Legal Issues" section contains the material previously found in the "Diverse Workplaces" section, and the "Professional Practices" section contains the "Moral Exemplars."
The materials in the "Education" section of the side are of particular interest for faculty and students who need to fulfill education and training requirements in ethics in various fields of science and engineering, including the social and behavioral sciences. These requirements exist at all post-secondary levels -- undergraduate, graduate, post-doctoral, and faculty/investigator.
The "Education" section also includes learning resources for pre-college students. There are materials for instruction in science and engineering ethics at the secondary level, relevant web resources for students in grades K-12, and studies about children's ethics.
Materials on engineering ethics for engineering students and trainees in the "Education" section help to fulfill ABET-CSAB's Engineering Criteria 2000 item (f) "an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility." These items can also help with other criteria d, g, h, and j on teamwork, communication, understanding of societal context of engineering solutions, and knowledge of contemporary issues respectively.
The "Professional Practice" section contains codes of ethics from science and engineering societies, and the "Employment" section contains material on diversity issues in engineering and science.
The materials on the responsible conduct of research (RCR) for research trainees in science and engineering trainees in the "Responsible Research" section's "Group Mentoring Modules" help to fulfill the PHS requirement for education in RCR for all faculty, trainees and research staff who work on PHS-supported projects, or with PHS funds at institutions receiving PHS funds. These also include cases written by graduate students and post-doctoral trainees that reflect their experiences and problems they face.
An important resource for educators, researchers, and students alike is the OEC "Glossary." It contains substantive definitions of concepts and terms commonly used in engineering ethics, with links to useful related topics and materials. The definitions are written to be accessible to a broad audience. The glossary also identifies and contains links to numerous relevant professional societies and organizations.