Cases and Scenarios

This is a collection of all the cases, case-related essays, and moral exemplars in the Online Ethics Center.  You can browse through or look for a specific case.  These cases can also be found by looking at the listings under specific topics in other areas of the Online Ethics Center.  If you can't find what you are looking for?  Try searching for Cases in the Ethics Education Library.

Use our Cases & Scenarios Blog to tell us how to improve this resource collection or suggest a new resource.

 

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  • A New Dialysis Machine

    (Web Page on this Site) Hypothetical Case

    An engineer faces trade-offs in the design of new equipment that could greatly affect the final product.

  • City of L'Acide Remediation Case

    (Web Page on this Site) Hypothetical Case, Open-Ended Scenario

    The City of L’Acide is located on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. with a population of 20,000. The City has contracted with the engineering firm, Benebaction, Inc., to remediate a 3 hectare hazardous waste site from an old firing range. This case includes handouts for 4 teams, each with hidden agendas, to be used in class discussion. It is also accompanied by a companion presentation on "The Environmental Implications of Biotechnology."

  • Cooperation and Competition Between Two Thesis Students

    (Web Page on this Site) Open-Ended Scenario

    A scenario meant to encourage discussion of the ethical issues that arise when one doctoral student is told to do work on a problem that another doctoral student has been already working on for quite some time.

  • The Jenny Ito Case: Getting Results

    (Web Page on this Site) Open-Ended Scenario

    A scenario about a researcher who is faced with making a decision after her advisor asks her to modify the protocol to get results.

  • The Very Interested Reviewer

    (Web Page on this Site) Open-Ended Scenario

    A scenario meant to stimulate discussion about the moral situations that arise when a scientist gets an idea from an article he/she referees for a journal.

  • A Question of Host Factors in Side Effects of Medication

    (Web Page on this Site) Open-Ended Scenario

    A scenario meant to stimulate discussion regarding ethical issues in conducting research with genetics: in examining blood for possible side effects from drugs, researchers notice a link with genetic predispositions.

  • Is This an Honor?

    (Web Page on this Site) Open-Ended Scenario

    A scenario meant to stimulate discussion about ways of responding to a suggestion from a researcher who has a reputation of freely taking others' ideas.

  • Introducing Viruses in the Field

    (Web Page on this Site) Open-Ended Scenario

    A scenario about field research on a live HIV vaccine to be given to chimpanzees.

  • The New Hip

    (Web Page on this Site) Open-Ended Scenario

    A scenario about a researcher who is trying to decide if an animal model is appropriate for her research.

  • Credit in a Grant Proposal

    (Web Page on this Site) Open-Ended Scenario

    A scenario that covers ethical issues that arise a professor incorporates the tables and figures of a student in a grant proposal.

  • Gene Therapy For Alzheimer's Disease

    (Web Page on this Site) Open-Ended Scenario

    A scenario about research with patients who have dementia meant to stimulate discussion about the ethical issues that arise in this type of research.

  • Gender Issues: Should You Find a New Supervisor?

    (Web Page on this Site) Open-Ended Scenario

    A scenario meant to stimulate discussion about gender issues in the advisor-advisee relationship

  • When Funding Runs Low

    (Web Page on this Site) Open-Ended Scenario

    A scenario that covers ethical issues that arise when one researcher discovers that another researcher is mischarging in the lab.

  • A Reviewer Learns the Fruitlessness of a New Research Project

    (Web Page on this Site) Open-Ended Scenario

    A scenario about a researcher who, after reviewing a journal article, realizes that his collaborative project is fruitless.

  • A Fruitless Thesis

    (Web Page on this Site) Open-Ended Scenario

    A scenario meant to stimulate discussion about the ethical issues that arise in the supervisor-trainee relationship; namely, after reviewing a paper for a journal, a supervisor realizes that his student's thesis is fruitless.

  • The Family Problem

    (Web Page on this Site) Open-Ended Scenario

    A scenario designed to stimulate discussion about ethical aspects of the supervisor-trainee relationship and family responsibilities.

  • Fair Credit for Inventors

    (Web Page on this Site) Open-Ended Scenario

    A scenario that covers ethical issues that arise when more than one person contributes directly to an invention.

  • Collegial Exchange and Exploitation

    (Web Page on this Site) Open-Ended Scenario

    A scenario meant to stimulate discussion about ways of responding to a suggestion from a researcher who has a reputation of freely taking others' ideas.

  • Is There an Error?

    (Web Page on this Site) Open-Ended Scenario

    Ethical issues that researchers face when it appears that there has been a serious error in data interpretation.

  • The Endless Dissertation

    (Web Page on this Site) Open-Ended Scenario

    A scenario meant to stimulate discussion about the ethical issues that arise when a thesis supervisor demands significantly more work after the student thinks the draft is complete.

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Cite this page: "Cases and Scenarios" Online Ethics Center for Engineering 7/6/2009 National Academy of Engineering Accessed: Saturday, July 31, 2010 <www.onlineethics.org/Resources/Cases.aspx>



Using Cases
  • Using Case Studies

    This bibliography includes examples of different ways instructors have used case studies to introduce ethical topics to their students and resources for finding cases and incorporating them into the classroom.