Thefoundationsofresearchethicsarerivenwithfaultlinesemanatingfromafearthatifresearchistoocloselyconnectedtoweightysocialpurposesanimperativetoadvancethecommongoodthroughresearchwilljustifyabrogatingtherightsandwelfareofstudyparticipants.Theresultisanimpoverishedconceptionofthenatureofresearch,anincompletefocusonactorswhobearimportantmoralresponsibilities,andasystemofethicsandoversighthighlyattunedtothedangersofresearchbutlargelysilentaboutthreatsofineffective,inefficient,andinequitablemedicalpracticesandhealthsystems.InFortheCommonGood:PhilosophicalFoundationsofResearchEthics,AlexJohnLondondefendsaconceptionofthecommongoodthatgroundsamoralimperativewithtworequirements.Thefirstistopromoteresearchthatgeneratestheinformationnecessarytoenablekeysocialinstitutionstoeffectively,efficiently,andequitablysafeguardthebasicinterestsofindividuals.Thesecondistoensurethatresearchisorganizedasavoluntaryschemeofsocialcooperationthatrespectsitsvariouscontributors’moralclaimstobetreatedasfreeandequal.Connectingresearchtothegoalsofajustsocialordergroundsaframeworkforassessingandmanagingresearchriskthatreconcilestheserequirementsandjustifieskeyoversightpracticesinnon-paternalisticterms.Reconceivingresearchethicsasresolvingcoordinationproblemsandprovidingcredibleassurancethattheserequirementsarebeingmetexpandstheissuesandactorsthatfallwithinthepurviewofthefieldandprovidesthefoundationforamoreunifiedandcoherentapproachtodomesticandinternationalresearch.ThisisanopenaccesstitleavailableunderthetermsofaCCBY-NC-ND4.0license.ItisfreetoreadatOxfordScholarshipOnlineandofferedasafreePDFdownloadfromOUPandselectedopenaccesslocations.
