Transparency rather than independence is needed in research, says Karim Bschir

Last weekend, Swiss Sunday paper NZZ am Sonntag published an article by Branco Weiss fellow Karim Bschir. The essay talks about how the value-neutrality of science is an ideal that deserves critical examination.

Researchers (and universities) should be free to choose their financial sources, argues Dr. Bschir. But they have to be transparent about the interests involved and the goals of the research done with this financial support – and about the underlying social and ethical values. This kind of normative transparency, the essay concludes, should not only apply to privately financed research but just as much to governmentally funded projects.

“The idea of this essay was to start a discussion over a very important subject that deserves an in-depth examination”, says Dr. Bschir.

Read the essay in NZZ am Sonntag (German, PDF)

Read the essay online (German, free registration required) NZZ am Sonntag