Snowy ridgeline just east of Ouray, Colorado. Photo by Vince Cronin.

Standards of Geoscience Ethics

The American Geophysical Union is the largest organization of Earth and space scientists in the world, with more than 65,000 members. AGU has articulated a minimal set of standards that geoscientists are required to meet in order to be members of AGU or participants in AGU activities.

Members of the Baylor Geosciences Department, as part of the international geoscience community, are expected to abide by the AGU Scientific Integrity and Professional Ethics Policy to the extent that it does not conflict with Baylor University's nondiscrimination policies and statements (e.g., https://www.baylor.edu/bupp/doc.php/281653.pdf and https://www.baylor.edu/student_policies/index.php?id=22176).

The AGU Scientific Integrity and Professional Ethics Policy is available online at ethics.agu.org/files/2013/03/Scientific-Integrity-and-Professional-Ethics.pdf.

GeoEthics Resources

Organizations with a special focus on geoscience ethics

• International Association for Promoting Geoethics: www.geoethics.org
• American Institute of Professional Geologists: www.aipg.org

Geoscience ethics codes

• American Geosciences Institute: Guidelines for Ethical Professional Conduct
• Geological Society of America: Code of Conduct
• American Association for Petroleum Geologists: Code of Ethics
• US Department of Interior Scientific and Scholarly Integrity Policy: www.doi.gov/scientificintegrity/
• Links to ethics codes of other major geoscience organizations: www.geoethics.org/codes

Other important applied-ethics documents

• Gunderson, L.C., editor, 2017, Scientific Integrity and Ethics in the Geosciences: John Wiley & Sons, AGU Special Publications Series, 344 p., ISBN: 978-1-119-06778-8
• National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Report: Fostering Integrity in Research (2017) www.nap.edu/catalog/21896/fostering-integrity-in-research
• Cape Town Statement on Geoethics (2016): www.geoethics.org/ctsg
• Montreal Statement on Research Integrity (2013) www.cehd.umn.edu/olpd/MontrealStatement.pdf
• International Council for Science Statute 5 - Principle of Universality (2011): www.icsu.org/cms/2017/05/Statutes_September_2011.pdf
  and www.icsu.org/what-we-do/freedoms-and-responsibilities-of-scientists
• Singapore Statement of the World Integrity Conference (2010): www.singaporestatement.org/statement.html
• The Belmont Report on Biomedical Research (1979): www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/belmont.html

Other GeoEthics resources

• The AGU ethics portal (ethics.agu.org) is a rich source of information about geoscience ethics.
• Relevant documents from the Jackson School of Geoscience at the University of Texas at Austin
  • Guidelines for Faculty, Research Scientists, Students, and Staff of the Jackson School of Geosciences, UT Austin: http://www.jsg.utexas.edu/people/jsg-community/guidelines/
  • Jackson School of Geosciences Workplace Issues: http://www.jsg.utexas.edu/people/jsg-community/workplace-issues/
• Vince Cronin's GeoEthics page: http://croninprojects.org/Vince/GeoEthics/index.htm

Baylor University documents related to ethics and integrity

• Ethics Point: https://secure.ethicspoint.com/domain/en/report_custom.asp?clientid=6771
• Academic Integrity and Honor Code: https://www.baylor.edu/honorcode/index.php?id=44008
• Academic Integrity Web Site: http://www.baylor.edu/honorcode/
• Title IX Office: https://www.baylor.edu/titleIX/?_buref=1155-90749
• Sex Discrimination, Sexual Violence, and Sexual Harassment Policy: https://www.baylor.edu/judicial_affairs/index.php?id=930944
• Office of Research Compliance: https://www.baylor.edu/research/index.php?id=937079
  • Research Integrity: https://www.baylor.edu/research/index.php?id=937186
  • Conflict of Interest: https://www.baylor.edu/research/index.php?id=937187
  • Policy on Misconduct in Research: https://www.baylor.edu/facultyhandbook/index.php?id=73417
• Baylor University Policies and Procedures: https://www.baylor.edu/bupp/
  • General Employment Policies (BU-PP 002): https://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php?id=39236
  • Sexual and Gender-Based Harassment and Interpersonal Violence Policy (BU-PP 022): https://www.baylor.edu/titleIX/doc.php/249242.docx
  • Standards of Personal Conduct (BU-PP 023): https://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php?id=39237
  • Code of Ethics (BU-PP 024): https://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php?id=60137
  • Sexual Harassment Policy in the Civil Rights Policy (BU-PP 028): https://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php?id=39242
  • Interim Baylor Civil Rights Policy and Procedures for Employees (BU-PP 028a): https://www.baylor.edu/bupp/doc.php/281653.pdf
  • Sexual Misconduct Policy (BU-PP 031): https://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php?id=39247
  • Policy on Romantic and/or Sexual Conduct with Students and Supervisees (BU-PP 036): https://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php/176104.pdf
  • Whistleblower Policy (BU-PP 037): https://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php/184654.pdf
  • Faculty Conflict of Interest Policy (BU-PP 700): https://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php?id=42353
  • Officer, (and) Administrative Employee and Other Employees Conflict of Interest Policy (BU-PP 800): https://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php?id=39790

This is not a static resource, so please send your comments, suggestions for additional resources, or notice of broken links to Vince Cronin via Vince_Cronin@baylor.edu.