Philosophy in the Rainforest: Reflections on Integrating Philosophy and Fieldwork

Embedding research ethics education into apprenticeship-model undergraduate research experiences can contribute to creating, and maintaining, ethical and inclusive research cultures. Occidental College’s Biology and Philosophy Departments collaborated to develop a model for undergraduate ecological field research ethics education focused on promoting students’ understanding of ethics as embedded within scientific research practices. The model has two primary components: (a) a philosophical reading, reflective journaling, and discussion group for both philosophy and ecology undergraduate researchers about ecological research ethics; and (b) philosophy faculty and undergraduate researchers embedded within and assisting with ecological fieldwork, while also pursuing their philosophical fieldwork projects. This project highlights a range of ways of embedding ethics in research experiences that can be adapted to other contexts, including sustained and structured reflective journaling focused one’s scientific practice and regular philosophical discussions involving the entire research group.