Abstract
Dear Readers: For decades, the role of empirical research in bioethics has been discussed and debated. AJOB Empirical Bioethics aspires to publish high quality social science research that contributes to the field of bioethics, encouraging empirical work meant to inform deliberations about normative questions. In honor of the tenth anniversary of the Journal, back in May we put out a Call for Submission for commentary proposals on the topic of Fostering Dialogue about Empirical and Normative Bioethics. To further this decades-long discussion, we encouraged our readers to reflect upon the relationship between empirical and normative bioethics. The response exceeded our expectations! By July we had seventy proposals. First, I want to thank all of you who took the time to send in a proposal. We were so happy to have sparked your wide ranging and creative responses. Second, I want to thank my Associate Editors – Emily Anderson, Kathleen Brelsford, Catherine Hammack-Aviran, Aaron Goldenberg, Jennifer Walter, and Connie Ulrich – for their enthusiastic support of the idea as well as reviewing their share of blinded proposals; with special thanks to Catherine for reviewing the final set of commentaries with me. Third, I want to thank my Managing Editor Theo Schall who has shepherded the commentaries through submission, initial review, copy-editing, and publication. Our plan had been to publish ten commentaries. But, given the quality of the proposals, I made the executive decision to ask the authors of the top twelve proposals to submit full commentaries. The product of our collaborative efforts follows. Though no author(s) reviewed commentaries submitted by their fellow commentators, the complete set presents a linear conversation about key concepts of empirical and normative bioethics, how to integrate empirical and normative approaches, the value of that integration, and novel methods for integration. Together, we have succeeded in advancing the dialogue on the relationship between empirical and normative bioethics. My hope is that these commentaries encourage you to continue this reflection and discussion, work across disciplines, and stimulate you to find new collaborations. Please consider AJOB Empirical Bioethics as a home for the future products of your work.