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Ethics: research topics and materials viewed versus visiting



Interesting question.

In the case at hand I personally find nothing unethical about
CCCHS's posting regarding Bellesiles. Mr. Bellesiles' research is
already public knowlege, the fact he visited the CCCHS is also
public knowledge. Mr. Bellesiles has made public statements (apparantly
erroneous) about doing substantial research in the CCCHS collections in
1993.

I respectfully disagree with Mr. Komljenovich's interpretation of the SAA
code of ethics. As he pointed out, the clause he quotes pertains to the
disclosure of research information. Whether this extends to a protection
of "privacy" regarding whether someone has visited your repository is open
to debate.

I am curious if the Maine statute mentioned by Nina Osier has specific
language
about revealing whether a person has visited a repository.

Perhaps the SAA ethics manual will address this issue.

Let me pose a related situation. A professor assigns students to visit your
repository and write a report about it. Later she asks for verification that
the students did indeed visit your institution. Do you verify or claim the
information is confidential? How about if the professor does not ask
generally
for every student, but about one specific student, whose report about the
visit
is so full of errors she suspects that that individual did not comply with
the
assignment?

Do your answers to the above change depending on whether the repository
is a private or a public institution?

Of course if the answers were clear cut, and easy for everyone to come
to the same conclusion they wouldn't be ethical dilemmas ;-)

Craig Wright (who thoroughly enjoys ethics sessions at professional
conferences)
Curator of Manuscripts
Minnesota Historical Society

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