The Ethical Chemist is a self-contained introduction to scientific ethics that can also be used as a textbook for a course or seminar, or as an instructor resource.

The introductory chapters provide an overview of ethics, including professional ethics, and ethical problem solving. The majority of the book is a series of specific cases that present the kinds of ethical problems that both students and practicing chemists face followed by commentaries that discuss the ethical issues raised by the case and present possible solutions in the form of morally acceptable courses of action. While these cases are written for chemists, the situations are similar to those faced by scientists in other disciplines.