A long historical topic. In the main, however, ethics is a relatively new phenomenon amongst geographers. Historically, it was common for scholars to engage in 'moral geographies', that is, research where moral values are implicit to the intentions or consequences of the research. These values were especially manifest in geographical inquiry having to do with social justice and environmental preservation. In the late 1990s, geography underwent a 'moral turn', and we began to see the emergence of an explicit discourse of ethics, what I call 'geographical ethics'.
Geographical ethics is itself divided between externalist and internalist orientations.
The externalists generally see moral questions as external to the practice of geography. The exceptions have to do with the ethics of research integrity and professional conduct, something often referred to as 'professional ethics'. Externalist conversations about professional ethics have found a permanent place in the human and natural sciences, put they are very restricted in scope and insight. The internalists do not disagree with the importance of professional ethics, but cast a wider net, looking at the intentions and consequences of geographic research for the wellbeing of animals, people and the rest of nature. The moral implications of our scholarship is always internal to geography.