The Social Responsibility of Researchers in Combating Fake News and Conspiracy Theories During a Pandemic
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18662/po/11.1sup2/138Keywords:
fake news, conspiracy theories, ethics of research, bioethics, social responsibility of researchersAbstract
One of the problems that arise in crisis situations is that of fake news (presenting as being real events that did not actually take place) and of conspiracy theories (which emerge from subjective interpretations of real facts). The medical and social crisis created by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has resized the role of researchers and bioethicists, emphasizing their social responsibility in properly informing not only the academic community, but also the general public. The present article analyzes the new dimensions that the ethical principle of responsibility of researchers acquires as a result of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.
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