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Centre Of Bioethical Research & Analysis (COBRA) Resources:
Publications

Publications and dedicated websites

On this page, we provide resource links for Ethics Journals and Bioethics Websites & Newsletters.

I. Ethics Journals: Various Subject Areas

This section contains a selected list of journals in a variety of subject areas because bioethics arises in a broad range of disciplines and discipline areas. The journals have been grouped in general categories, for your convenience:

General Bioethics
Specific Bioethics Journals
Applied Philosophy/Ethics
Medical and Clinical Ethics
Nursing Ethics
Other Professional Ethics Journals
Neuroethics
Environmental Ethics

A. General Bioethics Journals

American Journal of Bioethics: Started in 2001. Its website is joined with the highly informative online bioethics news service Bioethicsnet. It requires subscription, but every now and then it offers access to an article for free.

Bioethics: Started in 1987 as the journal of the International Association of Bioethics (IAB). It requires subscription, but offers access to some articles on this website for free.

Developing World Bioethics provides long needed case studies, teaching materials, news in brief, and legal backgrounds to bioethics scholars and students in developing and developed countries alike. This companion journal to Bioethics (see above listing) features high-quality peer reviewed original articles. Developing World Bioethics is the only journal in the field dedicated exclusively to developing countries' bioethics issues. The journal is an essential resource for all those concerned about bioethical issues in the developing world. Sample issue available for free viewing.

The Hastings Center Report: Started in 1970 and is probably the publication in bioethics with the longest history. It is part of Project MUSE. It requires institutional subscription or membership to the Center, but offers public access to a number of the articles in each present volume.

Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal: Started in 1990. It is also part of Project MUSE, requiring subscription or membership to the Center. A sample issue on the problem of organ donation is available through the website.

The International Journal of Feminist Approaches to Bioethics (IJFAB) provides a forum within bioethics for feminist thought and debate. Sponsored by the International Network on Feminist Approaches to Bioethics (FAB), IJFAB welcomes feminist scholarship on ethical issues related to health, health care, and the biomedical sciences. A subscription is required but is one of the benefits of membership of the network, so you can join the network and receive electronic or print copies of the journal also.

B. Specific Bioethics Journals

Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics: Started in 2006. Focuses on ethical issues relating to human research, in the aim of establishing policy guidelines for research. Table of contents and the cover are free to view, but the articles themselves require subscription.

Human Reproduction and Genetic Ethics: The journal was originally founded in 1995 under the title of European Journal of Genetics in Society, but changed its title to HRGE in 1998. It focuses on the specific areas of human reproduction and genetic engineering within the bioethics field, and encourages contributions from a wide range of disciplines and professions. There is a charge for articles within their publication, but book reviews can be viewed for free.

Research Ethics: Started in 2005. Formerly Research Ethics Review, the journal is concerned with all areas of ethical relevance within the area of research. It greatly encourages submissions and has a full archive of past articles. Subscription is required.

C. Applied Philosophy/Ethics Journals

Ethics: Founded in 1890. Ethics publishes scholarly work in moral, political, and legal philosophy from a variety of intellectual perspectives, including social and political theory, law, and economics. Subscription required, but sample issue (Oct, 2006) available.

Journal of Applied Philosophy is the Journal of the Society for Applied Philosophy, edited by Alan Carter and Suzanne Uniacke. The on-line index lists contents dating back to 1984. The Journal of Applied Philosophy covers philosophical issues in a broad range of topics, including science and medicine. Subscription is required but free sample issues are available.

Journal of Ethics: Established in 1997. Focuses on the broad areas of applied philosophy, ethical theory, social, political, and legal ethics. Subscription is required.

Journal of Ethics and Social Philosophy: Started in 2005. Offering free downloads of all articles and a very informative discussion notes contribution, this journal offers a comprehensive guide to ethical theory, and also, moral, political, and legal philosophy. No subscription is required.

Journal of Global Ethics: Started in 2005. An international interdisciplinary journal which covers all areas of global ethics, such as: global justice, environmental justice and ethics, corporate and professional ethics, issues of globalisation, international relations, and human rights. Requires subscription.

Journal of Moral Philosophy: Edited by Thom Brooks, the Journal of Moral Philosophy is a peer-reviewed journal of moral, political and legal philosophy with an international focus. It publishes articles in all areas of normative philosophy, including pure and applied ethics, as well as moral, legal, and political theory. Subscription required.

Philosophy & Public Affairs welcomes philosophical discussion of substantive legal, social, and political problems, as well as discussions of the more abstract questions to which they give rise. Issues from 2001-2003 are also available via Project MUSE (but must have a subscription).

International Journal of Ethics: is a refereed journal which includes within its scope theoretical and applied issues including ethical theory, moral, social, political, and legal philosophy. Applications include: biology and medicine, business, education, environment, government, mass media, science, agriculture and food production, and religion. Individual issues can be purchased on-line.

Ramon Llul Journal of Applied Ethics: Started in 2010. RLJAE broadly focuses on media ethics, bioethics, business ethics, corporate social responsibility, and professional ethics. Articles are free to download, but monetary contributions are appreciated.

The Open Ethics Journal: Started in 2007. It offers the latest research into ethics, operating on an independent and open approach. Also, it gives free access to all articles in the journal.

The Philosophers' Magazine has an extensive website with articles on a variety of philosophical topics that are directed at interested lay people - but its primary orientation is decidedly not bioethical. The magazine itself and its archive require subscription, but many pages are accessible without subscription.

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D. Medical and Clinical Ethics Journals

BMC Medical Ethics: Started in 2000. It is an open access journal on BioMed Central that regularly features articles that receive broader attention in the field.

Bulletin of Medical Ethics: It is a UK based monthly journal that includes some feature articles and a variety of relevant information from ethics, law and politics, especially with regard to the situation in the UK. Requires subscription. Website includes a valuable calendar of bioethics events.

Cambridge Quarterly of Health Care Ethics: Started in 1992. It is meant as a resource for members of health care ethics committees from different professional backgrounds, including articles on practical issues as well as theoretical reflections. Requires subscription. Site gives access to abstracts.

Clinical Ethics: Brand new journal from the UK- started in 2006. Specifically directed at clinical ethics audience, addressing the more practical ethical issues arising in health care practice. Requires subscription; archive with abstracts accessible to non-subscribers. First issue is available online.

Ethics and Medicine: Started in 1984. This established publication tackles the difficult ethical issues within medicine, from its origin of the Hippocratic Oath, right through to the latest controversial medical technologies. It charges $10 per copy of its volumes, available from 1995 onwards.

HEC Forum: Started in 1989. The abbreviation stands for "Healthcare Ethics Committee Forum". The journal understands itself as interprofessional source of information on ethical and legal issues in health care for practitioners. Requires subscription. The Springer archive gives access to abstracts and full references of the article to non-subscribers.

Journal of Clinical Ethics: Started in 1990 as the first journal specifically directed at problems in clinical ethics. It discusses practical problems in clinical ethics, often using cases. Requires subscription. Its online services are not very impressive for non-subscribers - it gives no access to abstracts or previous pages of content on the journal home page.

Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics: Started in 1973. The American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics publish this journal, focusing on public health, healthcare disparities, ethical committees, HIV/AIDS, and many other common bioethical themes. Abstracts and full articles are free to download.

Journal of Medical Ethics: Started in 1975. It is the highest ranked journal in medical ethics. Offers Top 10 ranking for its articles (last month & last year). Requires subscription, but may offer access to selected article.

Journal of Medical Ethics and History of Medicine: Started in 2004. Created as a response to the growing difficulties within medical ethics in relation to divergences in religious and cultural beliefs and accepted medical practice. It assesses common medical ethics issues, but relates them to medical history and practice, with a specific focus on Iranian and middle Eastern culture. Articles are available for free, either as a PDF download or as html script.

Journal of Medicine and Philosophy: Started in 1975. Dedicated not just to bioethics, but also discusses broader theoretical issues in the philosophy of medicine. Requires subscription; one sample issue is available through the website. Archive with abstracts can be accessed through "Online Content" option on the menu on the right hand side of the page.

Medical Ethics Advisor: Started in 1997. It offers monthly articles on the most recent case examples, applied ethical issues, changing regulatory practice, bioethical research and development. It has journal volumes dating back to 2004. Subscription is required.

Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics: Started in 1979 as "Theoretical Medicine", later changed name to "Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics". Has changed from a more medically orientated journal into a bioethics journal for a more general audience. Requires subscription; one sample issue is available through the "About the Journal" link. The Springer archive gives access to abstracts and full references of the article to non-subscribers.

E. Nursing Ethics Journals

Nursing Ethics: Started 1994. Journal that addresses important ethical issues in nursing practice and theory. The main ethics journal in the field of nursing. Requires subscription.

Nursing Philosophy: Started in 1999. Being the official journal of the International Philosophy in Nursing Society, this journal is dedicated to exploring nursing philosophy in general, especially nursing ethics. Uses a broad range of philosophical approaches to illuminate issues faced in nursing practice. Requires subsciption; one free sample article available on website.

F. Other Professional Ethics Journals

Business Ethics: Started in 1982. This journal assesses the ethical content relating to business, such as consumption, marketing, labour relationships, and organisational structure and behaviour. Its main aim is to provide a business ethics journal that is free of jargon, establishing a public forum for discussion and debate on leading moral issues pertaining to the area of business.

Business Ethics Quarterly: Started in 1991. A multidisciplinary journal that analyses the social, political and economic frameworks in which business relationships operate. It encourages publications from the social sciences, humanities, and a host of professional fields relating to the ethics of business.

Business and Professional Ethics: Started in 1982. Addresses a broad range of issues in professional ethics and business ethics. Available on POIESIS; requires subscription.

Ethics and Behavior: Started in 1990. Addresses ethical issues that arise is psychology, psychotherapy and cognate disciplines.

Journal of Academic and Business Ethics: The Academic and Business Research Institute established this journal in 2009, and it focuses on issues such as corporate fraud, sexual harassment, and other common business ethics' topics. The journal articles are free to view in PDF format.

Journal of Religious and Business Ethics: Started in 2009. The journal addresses key ethical and religious concerns in relation to business. While a great deal of research has focused on the ethical content of business matters, they founders of this journal believe that religious input is also of great importance. Topics include power relationships, the environment, governmental interference in the economy, and all in relation to how they affect specific religious ideals and attitudes. No subscription is required.

Journal of Interational Business Ethics: Started by Professors at the Beijing Centre for China Studies in 2004. This journal focuses on the ethic of business, predominantly within the Asian context, most specifically, China. It offers free abstracts and information about the authors.

Science and Engineering Ethics: Started in 1995. It is a journal that addresses specific ethical problem in professional practice in science and engineering as well as more foundational problems in engineering ethics.

G. Neuroethics Journals

Neuroethics: Started in 2008. This journal focuses on the ethics of neuroscience and science of the mind, analysing problematic areas within neuroscientific technologies, psycho-pharmaceuticals, and neuropsychology.

H. Environmental Ethics Journals

Environmental Ethics: Started in 1979. This U.S. journal is the most widely acknowledged and renowned journal in the field, it allows you to search the entire back catalogue for specific volumes. You can order individual journal articles or subscribe for a year membership, allowing you to access their entire collection.

Environmental Values: Started in 1992. It addresses key ethical environmental issues, crossing over into areas such as environmental politics, economics, and policy regulation. Some of the biggest names in British environmental ethics are associated with this journal. Requires subscription, but the site offers access to abstracts.

Environmental Philosophy: Started in 2004. It is the official journal of the International Association for Environmental Philosophy (IAEP) and covers all areas relating to environmental philosophy. Subscription is required, but it includes membership to IAEP. However, it offers some free articles, available here. The webpage offers a link to their facebook page, found here.

Ethics and the Environment: Started in 1996. Associated with the Philosophy Department at the University of Georgia, this journal covers a range of environmental ethics areas, such as deep ecology, ecofeminism, and ecological philosophy. It requires subscription, but offers abstracts to their back catalogue.

Ethics, Policy & Environment: Started in 1998 as "Philosophy & Geography". It changed to "Ethics, Policy & Environment in 2000. This journal has a specific focus on policy implementation and the difficulties with applying eco-philosophical thought into regulatory practice. Subscription is required, but it allows you to request a free sample here.

Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics: Started in 1988. The main focus of this journal is on ethical issues within the areas of agricultural production, consumption, resource use, food science and affordability. Subscription is required, but it also offers a few free sample articles here.

II. Dedicated Bioethics Websites and Newsletters

Please see also our Bioethics Networks, Listservs and Blogs section.

Bioethicsnet: This is probably the most comprehensive and up to date bioethics page that is available on the web. It is hosted by the American Journal of Bioethics, with a varity of useful and interesting features, including an informative blog. The service is free and includes links to relevant current academic publications and news items on bioethical issues, mostly with a focus on the US. You can also subscribe to a free weekly newsletter that includes information about upcoming conferences, job openings and new items on the Bioethicsnet webpage. Another useful feature is its " Upcoming Events" page that gives a good overview of bioethics conferences and workshops.

Bioethicsforum : This is a service by the Hastings Center, geared towards an audience of interested lay persons and academics. It consists of regularly updated links to relevant news items as well as well-written commentaries on a variety of bioethical issues by prominent bioethicists.

Medical Ethics at the American Medical Association: AMA offers a broad range of resources in medical ethics, including Virtual mentor, a monthly ethics journal that is directed especially at medical students and beginning clinicians. It addresses relevant issues in medical ethics. Requires no subscription.

BIOETHICSLINE: If you have been looking for this database, but could not find it: it does no longer exist as a separate entity. Bioethicsline was a great database specific to the field of bioethics, but has since been integrated into PubMed. Here is a link to an article that mourns its passing. As alternatives you can now access relevant search engines e.g. on the page of the NRCBL at the Kennedy Center.

Bioethics Discussion Pages: A page run by Maurice Bernstein at the University of Southern California. While the Discussion Pages have not been updated for a long time, its blog is up and running.

Bioethics.com: An American site geared towards a non-academic audience, with a Christian background evident in its recommended reading list. The site offers links and short passages from recent news items for discussion. The probably most valuable feature of this website is the comprehensive collection of links to international bioethics websites that allows you to explore further what the internet has to offer in the field of bioethics.

Centre Of Bioethical Research & Analysis (COBRA)
This page was last updated Thursday, September 01, 2011

Centre Of Bioethical Research & Analysis (COBRA) Resources: Publications