Part of creating a new digital resource is planning and research. What CSHL's Archives is working on for the future is documenting the Human Genome Project. They already completed initial bios and publication research on scientists involved. Now they are up to those professionals on the project's fringe but who may be equally important to the public's understanding and perspective of the project.
On my list are: Journalists, Ethicists and Lawyers.
I started with the lawyers to see how long it would take to properly research each one and how much info would be freely available.
Yes... I do realize that lawyers are easier to identify and research than Ethicists; however, there were only four lawyers and that made a reasonable test group to start with and make a project plan from there.
Well, it took me about an hour per lawyer. To be honest, I did get wrapped up in some of the material and have decided to borrow a book entitled, "The Genome War: How Craig Venter Tried to Capture the Code of Life and Save the World." It details the controversy that wrapped itself around the Human Genome Project headed by James Watson. The controversy was about patenting the scientific discoveries made through the Project--the ethics, legality and morality of patenting something that occurs in nature.
For a great summary of the book, try: Discovery Medicine's Executive Summary
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