Responsible Conduct of Research

These materials are designed to provide motivation and content sufficient for an instructor to lead a workshop titled: “Mentoring for Responsible Research.” The long-term goal is to foster an environment in which research faculty are better empowered to initiate conversations within their research groups about the responsible conduct of research. Workshop participants are introduced to rationales, content, approaches, and resources so that they will have the means to develop and implement concrete, discipline-specific strategies for research ethics mentoring.

This is a handout from a 2015 workshop that includes an excellent introduction for how to teach RCR as well as some great exercises to be used in face-to-face RCR instruction with students in your lab.

This booklet introduces the nine core instructional areas in responsible conduct of research in a way that follows the entire lifecycle of the research process, from planning, to conducting, reporting and finally reviewing research. Written to be of use to students and instructors alike, it includes featured case studies, discussion questions, and links to other electronic and printed researches for each core area.

This is a huge collection of case studies, teaching guides and other helpful materials developed by other universities with funding from the U.S. Office of Sponsored Research

This is a compilation of materials, essays, best practices, and other materials for teaching responsible conduct of research. Compiled and maintained by members of the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics RCR Education Committee.

This is a series of nine role-play scenarios on central topics in responsible conduct of research developed by Dr. Michael Loui and Dr. C. K. Gunsalus. They include a script that students can use to act out the case study, and a teaching guide on how the case can be used to lead a meaningful discussion about the ethical issues raised in the scenerio.

A bibliographic resource of case studies, exercises and journal articles about ethics in science and engineering. Includes hundreds of resources on RCR topics.

This is the publicly accessible version of an online course on research ethics. The responsible conduct of research course covers main topics in research education, as well as topics applicable for each discipline, such a physics or psychology.

A series of six modules on responsible conduct of research in the sciences. Includes quizzes, video case studies and good, brief introductions to topics such as collaborative science, data management, authorship, and research misconduct.

Developed by the University of Washington, this teaching guide includes a large number of case studies covering all aspects of research ethics.

Case studies developed by the Science, Technology and Society Initiative at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Includes cases for classroom and online use, as well as information for instructors on how to effectively use cases in university courses.

A small collection of cases developed by the Poynter Center for the Study of Ethics and American Institutions at Indiana University, Bloomington.

This is an extensive collection of cases compiled by the Online Ethics Center that deal with a wide array of subjects in scientific research ethics.

A collection of case studies on the responsible conduct of research developed by the American Physical Society. Most include expert commentary on the cases.

Developed by the Center for the Study of Ethics in the Professions, this is a collection of ethics case studies available on the web from a wide array of disciplines, including the sciences. Searchable by discipline, subject, or keyword.

This peer-reviewed journal is devoted to the examination and critical analysis of systems for maximizing integrity in the conduct of research. Many issues focus on ethics education methods and policies for the biological, hard, and social sciences.

This resource, under development by the Center for the Study Ethics in the Professions, is a database of materials for instructors interested in developing ethics education programs or courses.

This is one of the premier journals of engineering ethics. Includes articles relevant to professional practice, teaching ethics, and descriptions of class and institution-wide ethics education programs.