Ethics: a gradualist-coherentist approach and empirical investigation

这一伦理研究项目的主要目标是提供一种渐进式和连贯性的方法来权衡NHP研究中相互冲突的伦理立场。因此，必须从理论问题、实践问题和经验评估的角度来审视在根本冲突的情况下实现非专断决定的伦理背景。理论问题集中在渐进主义-连贯主义方法隐含的理论承诺，以及道德理论中可能威胁到它们的争论。实际问题涉及协调一致的决策的适当框架和参数，以及国家惠益研究的负担和利益的性质。该项目的核心是对利益攸关方和公众对各种研究选择在负担和收益方面的排名顺序的经验性调查。这些结果将提供实证基础，以检验我们的连贯主义排名是否或在多大程度上是可接受的，尽管道德背景不同。研究活动将根据对国家卫生保健计划造成的危害和研究的益处进行评估和排名。对于任何一组给定的研究活动，人们可以识别和合理地评估相对的危害和收益，并根据收益确定负担是否构成公平的权衡。利益和损害的关系可以根据相关领域类似的、有充分根据的决定来确定和评估。尽管有不同的伦理背景，但我们希望在这里至少达成部分共识。该项目还以开放获取的方式，收集了与NHP研究相关的法律法规的信息。最后，为国家方案研究人员提供伦理咨询，项目参与者将参与影响活动，以传播成果，并使利益攸关方和其他有关各方参与进来。

The main goal of this ethical research project is to provide a gradualist and coherentist approach to weigh conflicting ethical positions on NHP research. Therefore, the ethical background for enabling non-arbitrary decisions in a situation of fundamental conflict has to be examined, in terms of theoretical issues, practical issues, and empirical evaluation. The theoretical issues focus on the theoretical commitments implied by the gradualist-coherentist approach, and the arguments within moral theory that may threaten them. The practical issues concern the proper framework and parameters for coherent decision-making, and the nature of burdens and benefits in NHP research. At the core of the project is an empirical investigation of stakeholder and public views on the ranked order of various research options with regard to burdens and benefits. These results will provide the empirical basis to examine whether or to what extend our coherentist rankings are acceptable despite different ethical backgrounds. Research activities will be evaluated and ranked with regard to harm caused to NHPs and the benefits of the research. For any given set of research activities, one can identify and reasonably evaluate relative harms and benefits and determine whether the burden constitutes a fair trade-off in view of the benefits. The relation of benefit and harm can be determined and evaluated according to similar, well-founded decisions in relevant areas. We hope to get at least a partial consensus here despite different ethical backgrounds. The project also maintains, in open access, a collection of information about laws and regulations related to NHP research. Finally, ethics consultation is made available to NHP researchers, and project participants will engage in impact activities in order to disseminate results and engage stakeholders and other interested parties.