The “Ethicon” (Hebrew: HaEtikon) is a unique digital ethics toolkit designed to support researchers in exploring the ethical dimensions of working with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It combines the words “ethics” and “toolkit” to reflect its purpose: an interactive, values-based resource for ethical decision-making.
We would like to draw your attention to a unique and forward-thinking initiative developed by a research team from Bar-Ilan University, the Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs, and the Shalem Foundation.
This initiative is aimed at researchers conducting studies in the fields of intellectual and cognitive disabilities.
Research involving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities raises distinct ethical challenges not typically present in other types of research.
The Digital Ethicon is designed to provide professionals and researchers with an interactive, structured, and values-based learning environment. It aims to deepen understanding of the ethical considerations involved in working with this population.
The Ethicon seeks to expose researchers to:
- Ethical dilemmas inherent to the act of conducting research.
- Diverse value systems among the various stakeholders involved.
- Key ethical principles that support informed, responsible, and respectful decision-making.
Learning Approach
The Ethicon is built on a multidimensional organizational perspective. It views researchers as key players within a broader ecosystem of partners – including service users, families, professional teams, legal guardians, and regulatory authorities.
The interactive environment fosters critical, reflective, and ethical thinking through the exploration of personal positions, exposure to dilemmas, and analysis of complex situations.
What does the Ethicon offer?
- Authentic case studies drawn from real-world field research.
- Clearly articulated ethical dilemmas – formulated to provoke thoughtful reflection.
- Core ethical principles – offering possible solution paths and ethical reasoning frameworks.
- Accessible documents to support the cognitive accessibility of research tools and processes.
- A practical guide for designing cognitively accessible research protocols – available in both Hebrew and Arabic.
We invite you to explore the Digital Ethicon and make use of it as you prepare to embark on your own research.
Click here to access the official Digital Ethicon page >>
The Digital Ethicon is based on research of Prof. Orly Shapira- Lishchinsky and Dr. Tehila Ozery-Raftar:
Bar-Ilan University, 2023.
Funded by the Shalem