Case Study 2

A group of researchers want to test water sources in Lesotho for disease-causing problems. The testing requires a lot of collaboration with community members, who will take the researchers to the water sources. The issue here is whether the researchers should be expected to pay the individuals who help them. One may say I’d be willing to provide the same service for free, so they wouldn’t pay them; others would say it would be important to offer them something as a thank you for their help. If the people in Lesotho are nice enough to perform the task without expectations for a return, should we take advantage of this, or will it be exploitation?
Step 1: Determine the facts in the situation – obtain all of the unbiased facts possible. Clearly state the ethical issue.
• There are disease causing pathogens in their water
• In order to test the water and understand the source of water locally, researchers have to obtain help from locals
• Lesotho is a developing country
• The goal is to understand the lifecycle and characteristics of the pathogen
• Several publications are expected from the research study
• Assumption: IRB from institution and country
Step 2: Define the Stakeholders – those with a vested interest in the outcome
• University representing the study
• Locals- assisting this project
• “Big picture” locals
• Funding agents of this project
• Academics / Researchers
• Healthcare Workers
Step 3: Assess the motivations of the Stakeholders
• University representing the study
o Motivations: Reputation/ publications/ possible accolades from the project
• Locals- assisting this project
o Motivations: Safer water (Help community), added incentive(?), better reputation as a country (tourism).
• “Big picture” locals
o Motivations: Safer water -> Potential improved health
• Funding agents of this project
o Motivations: Reputation and the comprehensive profile. Revenue from investment.
• Academics / Researchers
o Motivations: Reputation, publication, experience, pay, helping community. Advertising for other ventures if research proves to be advantageous.
• Healthcare Workers
o Motivations: Improved health for the community.
Step 4: Formulate (at least three) alternative solutions – based on information available, using basic ethical core values as guide
Approaches
• Potential solution 1: Provide monetary incentive so they want to assist with the research
o Ethical Principle or code
 Care based thinking. We give back from people we take very important information from to ensure and maintain a solid and important relationship. It is also just to give back from individuals we take from.
o Pros:
This way community members will be more likely to assist with the project as there will be a monetary incentive that will possibly help them with daily expenditures. Since, the community members have a greater drive to help the researchers, the academics will not risk halting their research because there are no participants.
o Cons:
This approach will cost more money to be spent on gather participants, rather than being spent on the research itself. Some locals may get offended from the offer and not want to help us, while others will compete for the limited spots and may cause chaos.

• Potential solution 2: Provide a souvenir (water bottle filled with sampled clean water)
o Ethical Principle or code
 Care based thinking. We give back from people we take very important information from to ensure and maintain a solid and important relationship. It is also just to give back from individuals we take from.
o Pros
Providing the locals with a small water bottle (with the team’s or university’s logo) filled with clean water not only will create a motive to participate in the research, it’ll also create a reputation amongst the locals of how friendly the team is. The logo will serve as a remembrance for the locals of the team and their goal. The sampled clean water will give the locals perspective on what clean water tastes like and motivate them to support the project in hope of future improvement of their water. Academics will not risk halting their research simply because no one wants to participate and not risk anyone getting offended.
o Cons
It’ll be expensive as manufacturing and transporting the water bottles can be costly. Also, the logistics will be complicated and will consume the team’s times.
• Potential solution 3: Do not provide an incentive
o Ethical principle:
 Consequence based thinking: If locals will be willing to provide us with information without expecting a return, then there would be no reason we would give back and this would be for the greater good. Not waste or time and money.
o Pros
No time or money will be wasted on gathering participants, they will be concentrated more on the research itself.
o Cons
The locals will receive a bad first impression on the academics because they are not willing to offer them anything in return for their services. Less people will be willing to work on the project, thus there will be a risk of uncompletion.
• Potential solution 4: host workshops for education
o Ethical principle:
 Virtue based: Ethical to make sure they are educated and understand what is the goal and how they can help.
o Pros
This will educate the locals and give them an understanding on what the team is trying to accomplish, so they will gain their support. Probably wouldn’t cost as much as other solutions. It’ll be a great tool to create relationships with community members and build a reputation and trust for us among them and not risk anyone getting offended.
o Cons
Will consume time and money to organize.
Step 5: Seek additional assistance, as appropriate – engineering codes of ethics, previous cases, peers, reliance on personal experience, inner reflection
Seek additional assistance from community leaders, in particular women who transport the water.

Step 6: Select the best course of action – that which satisfies the highest core ethical values. Explain reasoning and justify. Discuss your stance vis-a-vis other approaches discussed in the class.
The best course of action: To provide a souvenir (water bottle filled with sampled clean water) along with workshops.
This is the best solution (ethically) because:
1. Providing a more educational based experience that allows for more of an understanding of the problem at hand allows for the research to be more ethical. (Clear understanding of why research is being conducted = more ethical solution because it creates for more equity)
2. Would still provide a tangible incentive (like money) but would decrease the amount of jealousy (for getting the money) which would help the community sustain a more positive community and social environment. Also, money would only be provided to one or a couple people, some will refuse to take money and be offended, while the bottles can be provided to more.
3. Providing locals with a souvenir would leave a reputation for us among them.
4. Solution 1 does not offer an education along with the incentive, so locals would do it only for the money, but this solution raises awareness alongside our research. Solution 3 would risk the academics not being able to complete the project as locals would not be as inclined to help them, and also does not provide a reputation among the community.
5. If chemical additives are added to the water in the future, there may be less resistance since locals are aware there is a problem with the water (given the built relationships trust, and reputation).
6. While this solution will be costly and time consuming, it is vital that there are good relationships between the resrach team and the locals. This relationship will later serve as a catalyst when they come to put the chemical additives and for future interactions in general. The solution would not be ideal if the funding is very limited; however, if it is feasible then the low cost bottles and a few lectures will go a long way into establishing an essential relationship for this research to succeed.
Step 7: (If applicable) What are the implications of your solution on the venture. Explain the impact of your proposed solution on the venture’s technology, economic, social and environmental aspects.
This solution may enable us as the academics as well as our institutions and sponsors to have a stronger relationship with the population of Lesotho. This may offer more opportunities. The team must ensure that the final solution does not affect the ecosystems in the water resources they are using.

Bishoy B Youhana

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