Researchers’ Responsibility for Dissemination of Knowledge
Human lives were lost. Some argue that it was because the researchers did not communicate the risks clearly enough. Can the researchers be held responsible?
On April 6, 2009, an earthquake struck L’Aquila, Italy, killing 309 people. In October 2012, six researchers were sentenced to six years in prison for manslaughter, after having given the public incorrect information.
The researchers had been asked to assess the risk in the area following a series of tremors in the weeks before the earthquake. One of the seismologists stated at the time that the activity around the city “posed no threat” (see NRK.no).
The judge described the researchers’ risk analysis as superficial, approximate, and generic (see Science.org).
The case caused controversy in scientific circles, and the verdict was appealed. In 2015, the researchers were acquitted by Italy’s Supreme Court. The court found that the researchers could not be blamed for their assessment, which was consistent with the available scientific knowledge (see Science.org).
Research Ethics Guidelines
The Research Ethics Guidelines for Natural Sciences and Technology (NENT, 2024) state:
“Researchers have an independent responsibility to minimize the risk of adverse effects on humans, society, and nature, for the responsible use of society’s resources, and to ensure that research can directly or indirectly benefit society.”
And:
“Researchers have a responsibility to contribute their expertise to an open, nuanced, and informed public debate. In communication, they should provide a balanced picture of scientifically justified disagreements.”
Questions for discussion:
- Should researchers be held responsible if their research-based advice has negative consequences? In what way?
- What responsibilities do research institutions have?
- What could the legal accountability of researchers lead to?
- How can researchers learn from this case?