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American college of epidemiology ethics guidelines: Foundations and dissemination

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Abstract

Epidemiology is a core science of public health, focusing on research related to the distribution and determinants of both positive and adverse health states and events and on application of knowledge gained to improve public health. The American College of Epidemiology (ACE) is a professional organization devoted to the professional practice of epidemiology. As part of that commitment, and in response to concerns for more explicit attention to core values and duties of epidemiologists in light of emerging issues and increased scrutiny of epidemiology, the College developed, adopted, and published a set of Ethics Guidelines. The structure of the ACE ethics guidelines is in four parts: (1) a brief statement of core values and duties of epidemiologists, coupled with the virtues important to professional practice; (2) concise statements of key duties and obligations; (3) exposition of the duties and obligations with more applications; and (4) a brief summary and conclusion. The Guidelines have been published on the ACE website and in the official College journal Annals of Epidemiology. The guidelines contain (and maintain) core elements that define the discipline of epidemiology and its fundamental duties, but they are also intended to be dynamic and evolving, responsive to a changing professional and social environment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 29208, Columbia, SC, USA

    Robert E. McKeown Ph.D

  2. National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Douglas L. Weed

  3. University of Minnesota, USA

    Jeffrey P. Kahn

  4. RAND Center for Domestic and International Health Security, USA

    Michael A. Stoto

Authors
  1. Robert E. McKeown Ph.D
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  2. Douglas L. Weed
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  3. Jeffrey P. Kahn
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  4. Michael A. Stoto
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Robert E. McKeown Ph.D.

Additional information

Affiliations of co-authors: Douglas L. Weed, MD, MPH, PhD is Director of the Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program, Office of Preventive Oncology, National Cancer Institute; Jeffrey P. Kahn, PhD, MPH, is Professor of Medicine and Director of the Center for Bioethics, UMN Twin Cities, Minneapolis; Michael A. Stoto, PhD, is Associate Director for Public Health, RAND Center for Domestic and International Health Security, Arlington, VA.

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McKeown, R.E., Weed, D.L., Kahn, J.P. et al. American college of epidemiology ethics guidelines: Foundations and dissemination. SCI ENG ETHICS 9, 207–214 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-003-0008-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-003-0008-y

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