Private Interests Count Too

Abstract

Along with concerns about the deleterious effects of politically driven government intervention on science are the intrusion of private sector interests into the conduct of research and the reporting of its results. Scientists are generally unprepared for the challenges posed by private interests seeking to advance their economic, political, or ideological agendas. They must educate and prepare themselves for assaults on scientific freedom, not because it is a legal right, but rather because social progress depends on it.

Editors’ Overview: Forbidding Science?

“…Scientists also bring an important and unique normative perspective on the value of openness and free inquiry in scientific research. According to Mark Frankel, scientists generally do not frame the issue of potential restrictions on research in terms of a ''right to research'' (Frankel 2009), but rather see the issue as one of scientific freedom that inherently incorporates some practical limits. Yet, scientists often frame the problem as one of individual responsibility that should be addressed from within the scientific community, rather than as a question of externally imposed restrictions from outside the profession.…”

“…The politically motivated attempts to restrict and distort science for partisan or self-interested purposes by some governmental actors, industry representatives, and public interest groups have contributed to a siege mentality in some quarters of the scientific establishment (Frankel 2009). It is perhaps not surprising then that some scientists often appear defensive and insular when broader and more representative societal forces seek to influence and shape the direction of scientific inquiry.…”