Issues

A staff group at the Open University are proposing an ethical strategy for the development of external partnerships, which would include a severing of the institution’s links with the arms industry.

Article from SGR Newsletter no. 38; winter 2010
 

Press release, 24 February 2010
 

Slides of a presentation given by Stuart Parkinson, SGR, to computer science students at Birmingham University, 12 February, 2010
 

Article by Stuart Parkinson, SGR, orignally published as a blog entry on the website of The Times newspaper, 25 November 2009
 

Presentation by Dr Stuart Parkinson, SGR, at the Climate Emergency Copenhagen Forum, London, 7 November 2009
 

Presentation by Dr Tim Foxon, Sustainability Research Institute, Leeds University, at the SGR conference, 24 October 2009
 

Presentation by Prof David Webb, Praxis Centre, Leeds Metropolitan University at the SGR conference, 24 October 2009
 

Presentation by Dr Gareth Dale, School of Social Sciences, Brunel University at the SGR conference, 24 October 2009
 

The detrimental effects of commercial influence on science and technology

SGR report by Chris Langley and Stuart Parkinson; October 2009

It is no secret that links between the commercial sectors and science and technology are increasing. Many policy-makers, business leaders and members of the science community argue that this is positive for both science and society. But there is growing evidence that the science commercialisation agenda brings with it a wide range of detrimental effects, including bias, conflicts of interest, a narrowing of the research agenda, and misrepresentation of research results. This report takes an in-depth look at the evidence for these effects across five sectors: pharmaceuticals; tobacco; military/defence; oil and gas; and biotechnology. Its findings make disturbing reading for all concerned about the positive role of science and technology in our society.
 

Press Release, 12 October 2009