Collaborative Research: Ethical Implications of Values in Computational Modeling

该研究项目由科学与社会计划的伦理与价值研究部分资助，研究了价值观在计算建模中的作用，这些价值观是如何被专业和组织文化塑造的，以及价值观对计算模型作为产品的成功的影响。计算模型每天在各种各样的产品和政策中使用。这样的模型通常被视为没有价值、内容或伦理含义的纯数学抽象。然而，这些模型并不是纯粹的抽象，而是它们的质量取决于它们的输入，包括计算建模器的值。这项研究建立在一个由美国国家科学基金会资助的企业研究实验室的实地研究基础上。探索性研究的第一个主要发现是计算模型的设计和使用受到嵌入值和上下文值的影响。第二个主要发现是，组织文化在影响计算建模过程中起着关键作用。第三个主要发现是，价值观有助于塑造模式作为产品的成功。有必要在具有不同组织文化的其他现场进行进一步研究，以确定研究结果的总体有效性，并检查组织文化与计算建模价值之间的关系。第一次实地研究成功地证明了该方法的有效性和有效性，并产生了需要进一步研究的新研究问题。基于研究目标和第一次实地研究的结果，本文提出了三个假设：1)嵌入价值和情境价值在建模过程的各个阶段都发挥着重要作用；2)与计算模型的设计和使用相关的价值观与组织和专业文化息息相关；3)计算模型的设计和使用所包含的价值不仅影响计算建模过程的成功，而且影响作为产品的计算模型的成功。这项研究剩下的两个实地地点包括一个学术实验室和一个政府实验室。研究方法包括访谈、调查、参与观察和焦点小组，通过第一次实地研究得到了验证和完善。数据收集和分析将包括在一年期间对每个场址进行三次实地考察。这个项目将产生重要的产品，包括会议报告、同行评议期刊的手稿和一本书的手稿。本研究证明了数值在计算建模中的重要性。特别是，嵌入值和上下文值在计算模型的设计和使用中都起着重要作用，这一发现对于建模伦理、计算伦理和价值敏感设计的文献来说是一个新颖而重要的发现，值得进一步研究。本研究也显示了组织文化和专业文化对计算建模价值观的影响。这项研究对价值如何影响建模过程和模型作为产品的成功产生了更好的理解。本研究的发现将通过展示计算建模中与价值观相关的道德选择的重要性，来改善计算机科学家的实践。这些发现将告诉计算模型的管理者，价值在计算模型的成功中所起的重要作用。本研究也证明了职业和组织道德规范的重要性。管理人员需要负责在组织内制定和执行道德标准，而应该鼓励建模者遵循专业和组织的道德准则。此外，该研究还有助于对计算建模者及其管理者进行道德教育。本研究结果可用于计算机与信息伦理的一般课程，以及计算建模者的专业道德课程和培训。

This research project, funded by the Ethics and Values Studies component of the Science and Society Program, examines the role of values in computational modeling, how these values are shaped by professional and organizational cultures, and the effects of values on the success of computational models as products. Computational models are used every day in a wide variety of products and policies. Such models are often treated as pure mathematical abstractions with no values content or ethical implications. However, these models are not pure abstractions, but rather they are only as good as their inputs, including the values of computational modelers. The research builds on a field study of a corporate research laboratory funded by NSF. The first major finding of the exploratory study was that the design and use of computational models is affected by both embedded and contextual values. The second major finding was that organizational culture plays a key role in influencing the computational modeling process. The third major finding was that values help to shape the success of models as products. Further research at additional field sites with different organizational cultures is necessary to determine the general validity of the findings and to examine the relationship between organizational culture and the values of computational modeling. The first field study was successful in demonstrating the validity and effectiveness of the method, and generated new research questions that require additional research. Based on the research objectives and the findings of the first field study, three hypotheses guide the research: 1) embedded and contextual values play important roles in all of the stages of the modeling process; 2) values embedded in and contextual to the design and use of computational models are tied to organizational and professional cultures; and 3) values embedded in and contextual to the design and use of computational models influence the success not only of the computational modeling process but also of computational models as products. The two remaining field sites for this research include an academic laboratory and a government laboratory. The research method, including interviews, surveys, participant observation, and focus groups, has been validated and refined through the first field study. Data collection and analysis will include three field site visits over a one-year period for each site. This project will lead to important products, including conference presentations, manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals, and a book manuscript. This study demonstrates the importance of values in computational modeling. In particular, the finding that both embedded and contextual values play an important role in the design and use of computational models is a novel and important finding for the literatures on the ethics of modeling, the ethics of computing, and value-sensitive design that merits further investigation. The study also demonstrates the influence of organizational and professional cultures on values in computational modeling. This research generates a better understanding of how values impact the success of the modeling process and of models as products. The findings of this study will improve practice by computer scientists by demonstrating the importance of ethical choices related to values in computational modeling. The findings will inform managers of computational modelers about the important role that values play in the success of computational models. This study also demonstrates the importance of professional and organizational codes of ethics. Managers need to be responsible in making and enforcing ethical standards within organizations, while modelers should be encouraged to follow both professional and organizational codes of ethics. In addition, the research contributes to ethics education for computational modelers and their managers. The findings of this study can be used for general classes in computing and information ethics as well as specific courses and training in professional ethics for computational modelers.