**6. Responsible conduct of research**

46 Emerging Informatics – Innovative Concepts and Applications

Event trees or fault trees also support optimization of factors when weighing alternative versions of a technology or ways to mitigate potential adverse effects. This can help to avoid a technology's feature that can cause harm or lead to failures. For example, Fig. 10 shows an

event tree that likely will support using a safer material when fabricating a device.

Fig. 10. Event tree on whether to use mercury in a medical device.

Researchers over the past two decades have embarked on ways to ensure that their graduate and faculty research not only advances the state of the science, but do so with integrity. Comparing decision making in emerging areas like these, especially nanomaterials and biotechnologies, to that of more established scientific enterprises combines technical and ethical content of decisions to go forward. As mentioned, Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) programs at universities include training on ethics topics in specific research areas using proven educational resources, but newer techniques are required when dealing with complex systems (National Academy of Engineering 2003).

Indeed, RCR has been a key part of practical training of research and teaching assistants, provides a bridge between professional and research ethics, helps to ensure transparency and documentation of funding, and is vital to preparing the next generation of scholars by promoting research that both gains the public trust and contributes to the needs of society. As such, RCR provides a means of "preparing stewards of the discipline" as posited by the Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate. (Duke University 2012). However, research enterprises must to ensure that graduate-level researchers in emerging fields are adequately prepared when confronted with ethical issues associated with emerging technologies (NAS 2004).

RCR training and the professional codes of ethics are starting points for ways to approach emerging technologies.
