Basic Resources in Bioethics

Organizations

Kennedy Institute of Ethics
Georgetown University
Washington, DC 20057
National Reference Center for Bioethics Literature
800-MED-ETHX or 202-687-3885

The Hastings Center
255 Elm Road
Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510
914-762-8500

Society for Health and Human Values
6728 Old McLean Village Drive
McLean, VA 22101
703-556-9222

NOTE: There are numerous organizations in the United States and abroad that deal with bioethical issues. For a more comprehensive listing of those organizations, see:

American Hospital Association. Directory of Biomedical Ethics Organizations. Chicago: American Hospital Association, 1989.

National Reference Center for Bioethics Literature. International Directory of Bioethics Organizations edited by Robert Iosco. Washington, DC: Georgetown University, 1986.

Encyclopedia and Dictionary

Dictionary of Medical Ethics. Edited by A.S. Duncan, G.R. Dunstan, and R.B. Welborn. New rev. ed. New York: Crossroad, 1981.

Encyclopedia of Bioethics. Edited by Warren T. Reich. 4 vols. New York: Macmillan-Free Press, 1978; or 1982 reprint in 2 volumes available to members of the Kennedy Institute of Ethics through the membership office, 202-687-8099.

Online Database

Bioethicsline. Produced by the Kennedy Institute of Ethics for the National Library of Medicine. Searchable through the MEDLARS system. Focuses on questions of ethics and public policy in the fields of health care and biomedical research. Searches available upon request to the National Reference Center for Bioethics Literature. For information on securing a personal access code from the National Library of Medicine, call 800-638-8480.

Bibliographies

Bibliography of Bioethics. Edited by LeRoy Walters and Tamar Joy Kahn. Washington, DC: Kennedy Institute of Ethics, Georgetown University. Issued annually since 1975. Corresponds to the BIOETHICSLINE database. Provides references to resources on ethical and public policy issues in medicine and biomedical research. Includes abstracts; arranged by broad subject categories.

Ethics in Nursing. Edited by Terry Pence. 2nd ed. New York: National League for Nursing, 1986. An annotated bibliography of nursing ethics. Includes author and subject indexes.

Goldstein, Doris M. Bioethics: A Guide to Information Sources. Detroit: Gale Research, 1982. A selected, annotated bibliography to the literature of bioethics.

The Hastings Center's Bibliography of Ethics, Biomedicine and Professional Responsibility. Compiled by the staff of the Hastings Center. Frederick, MD: University Publications of America, 1984.

Medical Ethics: An Annotated Bibliography. Edited by Mark Siegler, Peter A. Singer and David L. Schiedermayer. Philadelphia: American College of Physicians, 1988.

Current Awareness Services

NOTE: Several journals have sections where they highlight new publications. See, for example, the "In The Literature" section of the Hastings Center Report, or the "Medicolegal Reference Shelf" section of Law, Medicine and Health Care. Other services include:

BioLaw. Edited by James F. Childress and Ruth D. Gaare. Frederick, MD: University Publications of America, 1983 to present. Annual with bimonthly updates. (Previous title: Bioethics Reporter.) A compendium of articles and legal documents on ethical and legal issues in medicine, health care administration and human experimentation. Includes the text of important legal decisions in the Resources section.

New Titles in Bioethics. Edited by Luanda Fitch Huttlinger. Washington, DC: National Reference Center for Bioethics Literature, Kennedy Institute of Ethics, Georgetown University. Published monthly 1975-1989; quarterly 1990—present. List of acquisitions by the National Reference Center for Bioethics Literature. Organized by subject categories. Includes ordering information for difficult-to-find items. Annual cumulation available.

Scope Notes Series. Washington, DC: National Reference Center for Bioethics Literature, Kennedy Institute of Ethics, Georgetown University. A series of issue briefs including annotated bibliographies on the following popular bioethical topics:

1. No 1. Dangerousness, September 1982, 5 p.

2. No 2. Living Wills and Durable Powers of Attorney: Advance Directive Legislation and Issues, Revised February 1990, 15 p.

3. No 3. Ethics Committees in Hospitals, Revised June 1989, 12 p.

4. No 4. Diagnosis Related Groups and the Prospective Payment System, June 1984, 11 p.

5. No 5. Baby Fae, January 1985, 19 p.

6. No 6. Surrogate Mothers, Revised January 1988, 12 p.

7. No 7. Withholding or Withdrawing Nutrition or Hydration, Revised September 1988, 12 p.

8. No 8. AIDS: Law, Ethics and Public Policy, April 1988, 12 p.

9. No 9. Bioethics Audiovisuals 1982 to Present, September 1988, 12 p.

10. No 10. Ethical Issues in...