Fighting Bioterrorism | Scientific Research and Publication Should Not Be Restricted

Abigail Salyers is president of the American Society of Microbiology.

Summary: Frightening as the prospect of a bioterrorist attack is, it is important not to overreact. No restrictions should be placed on the conduct or publication of unclassified scientific research because open communication of research results is vital for the advance of science and the improvement of public health. Impeding the flow of scientific information is likely to harm rather than help efforts to prevent bioterrorism.

In the aftermath of the fall 2001...

[The entire page is 680 words long]

Join eNotes

The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the: