Data Science: Ethical decision-making in practice
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Data Science: Ethical decision-making in practice
Instructor: Robbie Morgan
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What you'll learn
How to apply professional ethics to real data science work.
How to make ethical, informed decisions when planning and evaluating data projects.
How to understand responsibility and assess the possible consequences of AI within a project context.
Skills you'll gain
Tools you'll learn
Details to know
December 2025
1 assignment
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There are 2 modules in this course
Learn how to make ethical and responsible decisions in real data science projects. This course introduces the foundations of data ethics, professional ethics, and ethical decision-making, giving you the tools to appraise project methods with confidence.
Youβll explore how responsible choices shape outcomes, how to recognise risks in data- driven work, and how to apply ethical frameworks throughout the project lifecycle. Designed with practical application in mind, the course helps you build the judgement needed for working in modern data science roles. By the end, youβll understand the conditions for responsibility, be able to evaluate methodological decisions, and feel equipped to navigate ethical challenges in data-intensive environments.
In this short course, you will explore the features and practices common to professions and consider whether the field of data science should professionalise or not. You will also examine the conditions for responsibility and apply them to the possible consequences of data science. You will evaluate the value of professions having their own codes of ethics and what the implications could be for your practice in the field of data science. Finally, you will consider the circumstances under which data scientists may have a responsibility to speak out against wrongdoing.
What's included
17 readings1 discussion prompt
17 readingsβ’Total 107 minutes
- About this courseβ’10 minutes
- How to study this courseβ’5 minutes
- Short course authorβ’2 minutes
- 1.1 Overview of Lesson 1β’2 minutes
- 1.2 Introduction and three distinct meanings of a professionβ’10 minutes
- 1.3 Introduction to professional ethicsβ’5 minutes
- 1.4 Honestyβ’5 minutes
- 1.5 Integrityβ’5 minutes
- 1.6 Reflective activity: Theories of integrityβ’20 minutes
- 1.7 Trust and confidentialityβ’5 minutes
- 1.8 Impartiality and conflicts of interestβ’2 minutes
- 1.9 Next stepsβ’2 minutes
- 2.1 Overview of Lesson 2β’10 minutes
- 2.2 The purpose of a code of ethicsβ’10 minutes
- 2.3 Codes of ethics and data scienceβ’2 minutes
- 2.5 Next stepsβ’2 minutes
- Take your learning further: MSc Data Science (Statistics) Onlineβ’10 minutes
1 discussion promptβ’Total 60 minutes
- 2.4 Should data science be considered a profession?β’60 minutes
What's included
6 readings1 assignment
6 readingsβ’Total 40 minutes
- 3.1 Overview of Lesson 3β’10 minutes
- 3.2 The distance between programmer and end productβ’5 minutes
- 3.3 Whistle-blowingβ’10 minutes
- 3.4 Next stepsβ’2 minutes
- Take your learning furtherβ’3 minutes
- 4.2 Reflective activity: Reflecting on ethical approachesβ’10 minutes
1 assignmentβ’Total 30 minutes
- 4.1 MCQβ’30 minutes
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Taking this course by University of Leeds may provide you with a preview of the topics, materials and instructors in a related degree program which can help you decide if the topic or university is right for you.
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