Technoscientific Research

Unlike the bulk majority of publications on philosophy of science and research ethics, which are authored by professional philosophers and intended for philosophers, this book has been written by a research practitioner and intended for research practitioners. It is distinctive by its integrative approach to methodological and ethical issues related to research practice, with special emphasis of mathematical modelling and measurement, as well as by attempted application of engineering design methodology to moral decision making. It is also distinctive by more than 200 real-world examples drawn from various domains of science and technology. It is neither a philosophical treaty nor a quick-reference guide. It is intended to encourage young researchers, especially Ph.D. students, to deeper philosophical reflection over research practice. They are not expected to have any philosophical background, but encouraged to consult indicated sources of primary information and academic textbooks containing syntheses of information from primary sources. This book can be a teaching aid for students attending classes aimed at identification of methodological and ethical issues related to technoscientific research, followed by introduction to the methodology of analysing dilemmas arising in this context.

Roman Z. Morawski was born in 1949 in Poland. He received his M.Sc. degree with honours (electronic instrumentation) in 1972 from Warsaw University of Technology (Poland), the Ph.D. degree (computing processes and structures) in 1979 from Leningrad Institute of Electrical Engineering (USSR), the D.Sc. degree (measurement applications of digital signal processing) in 1990 from Warsaw University of Technology, and the Professor's title in 2001 from the President of the Republic of Poland. His research interests are focused on software aspects of measurement, in particular on applications of mathematical modelling and digital signal processing in measurement and instrumentation. He has published ca. 250 papers in this domain; he has been, moreover, a co-author of 14 international patents (US, Canada, 6 UE countries). Roman Z. Morawski has been lecturing on measurement science, measurement data processing, as well as on methodological and ethical aspects of technoscientific research. He has published ca. 100 papers on higher education, university management, research methodology and research ethics.