Deliberative Procedures in Bioethics

Abstract

Deliberative procedures can be useful when researchers need (a) an informed opinion that is difficult to obtain using other methods, (b) individual opinions that will benefit from group discussion and insight, and/or (c) group judgments because the issue at hand affects groups, communities, or citizens qua citizens. Deliberations generally gather non-professional members of the public to discuss, deliberate, and learn about a topic, often forming a policy recommendation or casting an informed vote. Researchers can collect data on these recommendations, and/or individuals’ preexisting or post hoc knowledge or opinions. This chapter presents examples of deliberative methods and how they may inform bioethical perspectives and reviews methodological issues deserving special attention.

Citation

Dorr Goold, S., Damschroder, L. and Baum, N. (2007), "Deliberative Procedures in Bioethics", Jacoby, L. and Siminoff, L.A. (Ed.) Empirical Methods for Bioethics: A Primer (Advances in Bioethics, Vol. 11), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 183-201. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1479-3709(07)11010-4