GEOETHICS IN THE GEOSCIENCES

  • Questionnaire

     

  • Geoethics in the Geosciences

  • Authors:

    Silvia Peppoloni and Giuseppe Di Capua

  • Person responsible for data collection and storage:

    Giuseppe Di Capua (giuseppe.dicapua@ingv.it)

    IAPG - International Association for Promoting Geoethics: http://www.geoethics.org

  • Objectives

    The goal of this questionnaire is to understand how much the geoscience community is aware of the importance of the ethical and social aspects of geoscience research and practice.

    The feedback received will help IAPG select priorities in its strategy of promoting geoethics.

    Topics

    The questionnaire covers the following topics:

    • Research integrity and professionalism in conducting geoscience activities.
    • Respect towards colleagues and appropriate behaviours in the working environment.
    • Conflicts of interest.
    • Awareness of geoscientists' responsibilities towards society in the dissemination of scientific results, in geoscience communication and geo-education activities.
    • Roles and responsibilities of geoscientists in the decision-making process.
    • Relationship between the geoscience community and stakeholders. 
    • Responsibilities of geoscientists towards the Earth system.

    Comments

    We address this questionnaire to all members of the geoscience community, and are promoting it through the web channels of the IAPG and partner organisations, to assure wide international participation.
    You can fill in the questionnaire anonymously. We aimed it at people in the performance of their institutional/professional activities, without implying personal data or information related to their private life.
    People filling in the questionnaire act on a voluntary basis. This questionnaire does not contain any reference to political, religious or racial topics. Before filling in the questionnaire, we ask the interviewee to provide her/his own acceptance of statements related to having read the above information, the freedom to withdraw from the survey at any time, and to remain anonymous.

    Time needed for filling in the questionnaire

    You should be able to complete the survey in 30 minutes.

    Procedures for data management

    IAPG's procedures for data collection, storage, protection, retention and destruction comply with the "EU GDPR" policy (European Union - General Data Protection Regulation): https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/law-topic/data-protection/data-protection-eu_en.

    Acknowledgements

    This questionnaire is an initiative of the IAPG – International Association for Promoting Geoethics, partially funded by the IUGS – International Union of Geological Sciences.

    The questionnaire has been realized with the great contribution of Jan Boon (IAPG-Canada co-coordinator) and Ruth Allington (IAPG Board of Experts). 

    We are also grateful to Susan Kieffer and Shrikant Limaye (IAPG Vice-Presidents), Margaret Brocx, Nic Bilham, and Roberto Greco (IAPG Continental Coordinators), Martin Bohle (IAPG Board of Experts), for their help to improve further this questionnaire.

    We also thank Peter Bobrowsky (IAPG Continental Coordinators), Christine McEntee, and Luis González de Vallejo (IAPG Board of Experts) for taking part in the test phase of the questionnaire.

     

    More information

    For more information, please, send an email to iapgeoethics@aol.com

  • Questionnaire

    GEOETHICS IN THE GEOSCIENCES

  • Please try to complete all questions marked with an asterisk, unless you prefer to remain anonymous.

  • Rows
  • Date
     - -

  • Interviewee information

  • Age*
  • Educational qualification*

  • Work activity*

  • PART A – General inquiry

  • 1) How would you define ethics? (multiple choice)*

  • 2) Have you ever heard about ethics applied to the geosciences, namely geoethics?*
  • 2a) If yes, how did you hear about it? (multiple choice)*

  •    
  •    
  •    
  • 6) Why should a geoscientist behave ethically (choose up to 3 which you consider to be most important)?*

  • 7) When researching/practicing geosciences, which of the following are the most important reference values for you? (choose up to 3)*

  • 8) In your work, which elements among the following are of most importance? (choose up to 3)*

  •    
  • 10) In your experience, did you ever observe any of the following behaviours within your working environment? (multiple choice)*

  •    
  •    
  • 13) Have you ever been a whistleblower in your organisation?*

  • 13a) Would you consider that it was safe to be a whistleblower in your organisation?*

  • 14) Among the following fields of activities, where do you see clear ethical or social implications? (multiple choice)*

  • 15) Do you think that your activities have an impact on society?*
  • 15a) If yes, on which social actors in particular? (choose up to 3)*

  •    
  • 17) Do you think that your activities have an impact on the natural environment?*
  •    

  • PART  B – Inquiry on specific aspects related to the organization to which you belong or you are affiliated (e.g. if you are a freelance worker)

  • 19) Is there an ethics board or office in your organisation?*
  • 20) Does your organisation have a code of conduct or a code of ethics?*
  • 21) Has your organisation a communication strategy?*
  • 21a) If yes, who is the target audience for communication? (choose one or more)*

  • 22) What type of channels does your organisation use for communication? (choose one or more)*

  • 23) In your opinion, what are the most important subjects to be communicated to the target audience? (choose one or more)*

  • 24) Does your organisation carry out geoeducation activities?*
  • 24a) If yes, who is the target audience for geoeducation? (choose one or more)*

  • 24b) If yes, which tools does your organisation use for geoeducation? (choose one or more)*

  • 25) In your opinion, which are the most important aspects that geoeducation should develop? (choose one or more)*

  • 26) Does your organisation have a policy for the data life cycle?*
  • 27) Do you think that data produced by your organisation may be subject to misuse?*
  • 27a) If yes, for which purposes? (choose one or more)*

  • 28) Does your organization have a policy related to publications?*
  • 28a) If yes, which aspects have been considered? (choose one or more)*

  • 29) Does your organisation have an anti-corruption office, leader, policy or other mechanism to deal with corruption?*
  • 30) Does your organisation have a policy for inclusion and access for personnel with disabilities?*
  • 31) Does your organisation have a gender balance policy?*
  • 32) Which of your stakeholders are interested in your geoscience activity? (choose one or more)*

  • 33) If you don't work in a company, does your organisation have relationships with commercial organisations ("industry")?*
  • 33a) If yes, does it receive funding from commercial organisations ("industry")?*
  • 34) Does your organisation at times find itself in situations of real or perceived conflict of interest?*
  • 34a) If yes, how much does this conflict affect the activities of your organisation?*
  • 35) Do you at times find yourself in situations of real or perceived conflict of interest?*
  • 35a) If yes, do these situations arise within your organisation, with external stakeholders or both?*

  • 36) Is there a policy to limit the environmental impact of the activities of your organisation?*
  • 37) Are there activities or initiatives in your organisation that enhance sustainability?*
  • 0/100

  • CONCLUSION

  • 38) Geoethics consists of….. (please, choose 10 elements that best describe geoethics):*
  • Rows
  • Rows
  • Rows
  • 42) To which of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals can geoscientists most contribute? (multiple choice)*
  • 43) Do you know the definition of "Geoethics" provided by the IAPG?*
  • 44) Do you know the "Cape Town Statement on Geoethics" by the IAPG?*
  • 45) Do you know the "Geoethical Promise", included in the Cape Town Statement on Geoethics?*
  • 46) Do you know the "White Paper on Responsible Mining" by the IAPG Task Group on Responsible Mining?*

  • If in one or more of the answers to the questions 43), 44), 45), and 46) you chose "NO", visit the IAPG website to get more information: http://www.geoethics.org

  • 0/250
  • Should be Empty: