Ethical Guidelines for Statistical Practice: The First 60 Years and Beyond

The Ethical Guidelines for Statistical Practice of the American Statistical Association (ASA) have evolved over a span of more than 60 years, going back to 1949. The Interim version of the Guidelines was published in 1980, the Trial version was published in 1983 and revised and formalized in 1989, the current version was approved by the Board of Directors and made available on the ASA's Web site in 1999, and ASA accreditation now requires statistical practitioners to agree to abide by them. The new century brings new ethical concerns for statisticians. As examples, bioethics is booming, climate science is newsworthy for both science and ethics, and issues of statistical integrity in research keeps the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Research Integrity very busy. In this century, we see a rapid increase in the ability to collect massive amounts of data, with complex structure and a sometimes sensitive nature. With these unparalleled opportunities for statisticians comes an increased need for clear guidelines on professional ethics. The evolution of the Guidelines therefore needs to continue. In this article, we examine the long history of the ASA Ethical Guidelines for Statistical Practice, and discuss potential areas for revision to meet the needs of our expanding profession.