Open Science/Week 2: Science in The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Learning Outcomes

 * Describe the role of human rights in scientific education.
 * Explain the two main parts of the “human right to science” in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Readings
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, United Nations, 10 December 1948, Copyright © United Nations.

[https://undocs.org/E/C.12/GC/25 General Comment No. 25 on Science and Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, UN Doc. E/C.12/GC/25], United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR), 30 April 2020, Copyright © United Nations. 19 pages.

Optional: International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, United United Nations General Assembly, 16 December 1966, Copyright © United Nations. 8 pages. See especially Preamble (for context) and Article 15.

Discussion Question
Have you learned about human rights in your scientific education before now? If so, describe your experience. If not, describe how the topic of human rights could have been introduced into your scientific education. Conclude your post with a question that could be answered by others in the class.

Self-check Questions


{Review the Preamble and Articles 1 and 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. How does the document describe the population to whom these rights apply? Choose the best answer. - all members of the human family - all human beings - everyone + all of the above
 * type=""}
 * Try again. That answer is true, but it is not the only true answer or the best answer.
 * Try again. That answer is true, but it is not the only true answer or the best answer.
 * Try again. That answer is true, but it is not the only true answer or the best answer.
 * Correct! “Human rights are rights we have simply because we exist as human beings - they are not granted by any state.” United Nations Office of the High Commissioner, “What Are Human Rights?”

{How does the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) refer to science? + Twice, in Article 27. - The UDHR does not refer specifically to science. You must read between the lines to see the relationship. - Three times, in the Preamble, Article 1, and Article 18.
 * type=""}
 * Correct! In Article 27, the UDHR refers to two rights in the context of science, the right to share in scientific advancement and its benefits and the right to protection of one’s interests in scientific works created.
 * Try again. The UDHR refers to two rights in the context of science, the right to share in scientific advancement and its benefits and the right to protection of one’s interests in scientific works created.
 * Try again. The UDHR refers to two rights in the context of science, the right to share in scientific advancement and its benefits and the right to protection of one’s interests in scientific works created.

{Review General Comment No. 25 on Science and Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights. What is included in the “human right to science”? Choose the best answer. - rights - obligations - entitlements + all of the above
 * type=""}
 * Try again. That answer is true, but it is not the only true answer or the best answer.
 * Try again. That answer is true, but it is not the only true answer or the best answer.
 * Try again. That answer is true, but it is not the only true answer or the best answer.
 * Correct! The interpretation of the human right to science including rights, entitlements, and obligations draws on UNESCO declarations, the Special Rapporteur on cultural rights, and other stakeholders in the scientific community.

{The right to participate in and enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its applications contains both freedoms, such as [blank] and entitlements, such as [blank].? + sharing scientific data and analysis with the public; state promotion of open science - the freedom to conduct research without regard for ethical norms; an entitlement to the removal of discriminatory barriers to participation in science - the freedom to withdraw from research projects perceived to violate a personal sense of ethics; an entitlement to ignore the intellectual property rights of others for the sake of scientific progress - the freedom to define what qualifies as science on a local or individual level; an entitlement to adequate funding of scientific education
 * type=""}
 * Correct! States have a duty to “respect the freedom indispensable for scientific research,” such as the freedom to share data and analysis. The right to participate in and enjoy the benefits of scientific progress includes an entitlement to its availability, such as through State promotion of open science and open publication, especially of findings from publicly funded research.
 * Try again. The human right to science does not include the freedom to conduct research without regard for ethical norms; however, it does include an entitlement to accessibility through removal of discriminatory barriers.
 * Try again. Researchers do have the right to withdraw from research projects “if their conscience so dictates.” However, the human right to science does not create an entitlement to the intellectual property of others. See Section V for a discussion of the balance between intellectual property and open access. See General comment 17 for a more in-depth discussion.
 * Try again. Within the context of the human right to science, science is defined as being based in critical inquiry, falsifiable, and testable. It also explicitly includes social science that meets these criteria and includes both the process and the results of the scientific process. Thus, this framework does not grant researchers the freedom to define science. However, States’ obligation to make science available implies an obligation to adequately finance scientific education.

{Special attention should be paid to groups that have experienced systemic discrimination in science. States who are parties to the covenant may need to take temporary measures to achieve equity and inclusion for these groups. To which groups does this protection apply? Choose the best answer. - women - persons with disabilities - persons living in poverty - indigenous peoples - all of the above + all of the above, plus additional groups
 * type=""}
 * Try again. Women are one of the protected groups, but they are not the only protected group.
 * Try again. Persons with disabilities are one of the protected groups, but they are not the only protected group.
 * Try again. Persons living in poverty are one of the protected groups, but they are not the only protected group.
 * Try again. Indigenous peoples are one of the protected groups, but they are not the only protected group.
 * Try again. The Comment discusses these four listed groups in detail. The full list of protected groups is “women, persons with disabilities, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons, indigenous peoples and persons living in poverty.”
 * Correct! The Comment discusses the four listed groups in detail. The full list of protected groups is “women, persons with disabilities, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons, indigenous peoples and persons living in poverty.”