Research integrity and ethics, reliable research results, teaching and learning
RI in Curricula
This section depicts research integrity (RI) and research ethics (RE) curricula in European secondary schools and universities. The map started with a search for curricula containing RI, RE or related topics. As you can see in the examples below some curricula address RI and RE directly, some indirectly without using the keywords RI and RE. Follow this link, and you find the development, explanations and the original exploratory findings. We subsequently expand this map to give you a better insight and therefore divide the map by marking some examples with a *. Syllabi marked with a * are results of the original findings from 2019; unmarked are supplementary examples enriching the map.
Do you want to add curricula to this map? Then contact julia.priess-buchheit@hs-coburg.de, close existing gaps and make your curricula visible.
RI/RE examples in Spanish curricula
Secondary school level
* Royal Decree states that in order to improve the quality of education, to achieve adequate performance of activities and to effectively solve complex problems, to acquire knowledge, skills, abilities and attitudes that contribute to the achievement of the objectives of each phase of teaching and learning and to acquire competences, the basic curricula for secondary school diploma explicitly aims for students to understand the elements and fundamental proceedings of research and scientific methods.(cf. Royal Decree chapter III, article 25, objective j)
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* For the Autonomous Region of Catalonia, an official document containing general rules to be applied in all Catalan schools, stipulates in Annex I, on general competencies to be acquired at secondary school in the section on competence in information management and treatment, that students must be aware of the ethical dimensions in the handling and use of information. To this end, they must learn the appropriate way to respect copyright, correctly identify the sources consulted and ethically use the information received.
PDF available here
Keyword hits: authorship, information, research method
Bachelor's degree level
* Psychology Faculty, University of Santiago de Compostela (USC)
A specific course on research design, techniques and methodology in Psychology during the first year of study teaches students the basic terminology of the various research modalities in psychology, familiarises them with the different methods and concepts of psychological research and introduces them to the philosophy of research, so that they learn to plan and structure research by choosing the most appropriate method, design and techniques.Psychology students should be able to critically read and analyse any report or scientific communication after completing this course.
Course description here
Keyword hits: research integrity, research method, authorship, data management, ethics, bioethics
Master's degree level
* Observatory of Bioethics, University of Barcelona (UB)
In a master's programme in Bioethics and Law, students learn about global and integrative bioethics and its legal implications. They explore various problems within the debate on the fundamental questions of bioethics, using an interdisciplinary approach that combines philosophical, medical and scientific threads, as well as discussing the application of research and its legal treatment. They discuss and decide rationally on the significance of problems arising from bioethics and technology for society. The aim of the course is to train future professionals in bioethics and law who can respond to the growing need for experts in these fields.
Course description here
* University of Seville
The Master and Doctoral Programme in Strategic Management and International Business organises, also on yearly bases, another seminar for its students on the same issue to promote research integrity and highlights the importance. Courses focus on different types of practices which undermines research integrity such as the classic ones (data fabrication, data falsification and plagiarism -FFP-) but also other such as salami publishing, harking or ghost authorship.
November 4 2020
* Faculty of Medicine and Nursing. University of the Basque Country
The Public Health programme includes the subject "Creation of a protocol and development of a research project", whose description is as follows: Research is a systematic, organised and objective process designed to answer a research question-problem. The basic unit of the investigative process is the research project. This document collects in detail the organisation that has been given to this activity and the way in which it will be executed. Therefore it represents a guide for the work team during the research development. Each institution reserves the right to require the project format that it considers according to its fundamental interests. However, a project must contain the following detailed information: research title, list of researchers, an institution responsible for the research and its direction, summary, definition and formulation of the problem, justification of the study, formulation of hypotheses and objectives, type of study, universe and sample, operationalisation of variables, plan of data collection, information processing plan, ethical considerations, resources, bibliographic references, schedule, the form of dissemination of the results and annexes.
December 2 2020
Faculty of Chemistry. University Rovira i Virgili
The Forensic Genetics, Physics and Chemistry programme includes sessions about developing sufficient autonomy to work on research projects and scientific or technological collaborations in their thematic area, as well as applying the ethical and social responsibility principles as a citizen and as a professional.
December 2 2020
Keyword hits: research integrity, research method, authorship, data management, ethics, bioethics
Doctorate's degree
* Faculty of Economics and Business, Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM)
A special seminar on "Ethics and Integrity in Research and Publication" is organised by the Master and Doctoral Programme in Economics and Innovation Management at the Autonomous University of Madrid. The seminar covers the design and conduct of research, as well as various aspects of research integrity in academia, including lack of integrity, which is often manifested in fraud, data production and plagiarism, etc. This seminar emphasises that both researchers as well as society reflect an honest attempt to describe the world accurately and in an unbiased manner, and that this is critical in being able to trust research results as reliable.
Course description here
* University of Salamanca
The Prehistory and Antiquity Sciences programme includes a module to learn basic competences in research. It contains lessons to foster the ability to conceive, design or create, put into practice and adapt a substantial process of research or creation. It deepens the ability to contribute to the expansion of the frontiers of knowledge through original research. The complete course emphasis the subject of Prehistory and Ancient History.
Keyword hits: research integrity
Doctorate's degree
Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University (UPF)
This is a compulsory course for PhD students in biomedicine and Masters students in bioinformatics, on the responsible conduct of research and good scientific practices. It has been going on since 1998 at the premises of the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB), the largest biomedical research park in the south of Europe, and where the Department of Experimental and Health Sciences of the UPF is located. With about 120 students per year, the course aims to make the students reflect on how their actions may affect their research. It covers topics such as public trust in scientists and the responsibility this implies, open science and transparency, conflicts of interest, biases, ethical issues in research with humans and animals, good practice in data management and record keeping and the publication process.
Course description here
RI/RE examples in German curricula
Secondary school level
* Bavarian State Ministry for Education and Culture
At the advanced level in Bavarian secondary schools, research integrity is present in different contexts. A course on "Development and Socialisation" is intended to give students an insight into research practice. To this end, students in the 11th grade analyse a study on youth and identity research and familiarise themselves with concepts and methods of scientific surveys. They train their awareness of deliberation and are able to judge whether the results are adequately addressed in public discussion. Students are furthermore encouraged to use an example to develop the thematic focus of a study, the overall design and intention of the study, its methods (e.g. questionnaires, biographical portraits) and reception.
Course description here
An additional course offered in Applied Computer Science draws students deeper into the topic of data security and data protection. It is assumed that students have already encountered hese topics in the subject Nature and Technology when dealing with data sets. In this course, participants reflect on their knowledge from the previous course, while deepening their understanding of data security and data protection. The students are given insight into various technical procedures for storing and securing data on a long-term basis. Only students who have not previously participated in computer science classes are allowed to take part in this course.
Course description here
In German classes, students learn to plan, revise and design texts on their own during the 11th grade. When focusing on writing, they are asked to pay attention to correct quotation and to be able to discuss the text. In this regard, the curriculum for secondary schools in Bavaria states: "In both text-based and open discussions, [students] explore complicated questions in literature as well as debate current socio-political and ethical-philosophical problems. They clarify their own point of view and develop conceptually elaborate, clearly structured and well-formulated arguments. In writing, they practice and strengthen their skills by editing texts. In this way, they come to understand writing as a planned process". (translated by Lisa Häberlein)
Course description here
* Bildungsserver Berlin Brandenburg
The course "science propaedeutics" promotes science propaedeutic skills of secondary school students during the last two years before they graduate. These students get an insight into research practices and learn how to think and work scientifically. The focus is on teaching methods and study techniques that foster and challenge independent work and research-based learning. Students in grade 10 or 11 (depending on the school form) choose a general topic from one of the school's subjects. After an introduction to scientific work, the students, together with their teacher, choose a specific topic for a scientific seminar paper. Afterwards, the students conduct their research and present interim results to their group and their teacher to obtain feedback. The aim is that the students acquire scientific working skills, in particular the subject-related and interdisciplinary competencies which are necessary for the chosen topic, write a seminar paper and present its results.
Keyword hits: research practice, research ethics, research methods, research data, data protection, academic writing, plagiarism, authorship, citation
Bachelor's degree level
* Faculty of Biology, Bielefeld University
The supplementary module to the Bachelor's programme in Environmental Sciences, under the title "Scientific Behavior: Practical, Legal, Social and Ethical Framework", combines introductory lectures with student seminar papers and broad discussion. The supplementary module gives the students the opportunity to individually profile and specialise in one or more subject-related interdisciplinary areas. A wide range of topics are covered weekly, such as applications for research funding, ethics of research conduct, genetic engineering (GenTG) and release, good laboratory practice, good manufacturing practice, publishing (plagiarism; original data), public relations work/outreach, stem cells and germline (Embryo Protection Act ESchG), environmental protection and sustainability, publications, scientific image processing as well as business planning. The broad range of topics provides students with a broad insight into the interrelationships, responsibilities and possibilities of research.
Course description here
* Department of Social Security, University of Applied Sciences Bonn-Rhein Sieg
The concept for awarding the Bachelor degree to FPO graduates of the Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg in the Department of Social Security includes voluntary bridging courses to refresh relevant basic knowledge and skills for the study programme as well as various supplementary modules such as methodology, economics, case management, computer science, an optional project performance/contribution and a practical project. These modules offer students the opportunity to acquire subject-specific knowledge and to develop their skills in the areas of research methods, good scientific practice, plagiarism, data collection, data sources and data analysis etc. Furthermore, the students learn methods of the scientific processing of information for their written work. In addition to technical and methodological competence, the studies focus on training the social and personal competence of the learners. The aim is to enable students to think in a networked way, e.g. within and between the areas of law, medicine, economics, case management and computer science.
* Albert-Ludwig-University Freiburg/ Free space for scientific further education Scientific work/ module description
The course "scientific work" draws students more in-depth into the topic of targeted search, evaluation and reasoned selection of information sources (e.g. research articles). Also, the students get an insight into the nature and benefits of scientific work and are enabled to gain a quick and unerring overview of the current state of discussion in a research area. The students will be able to evaluate their peers' scientific work based on criteria. They learn to prepare an exposé (incl. project plan) for a topic on which they work. Furthermore, the learners acquire skills to handle the scientific views of others and to present and explain them in a way that is understood by third parties. These skills include relevant factual knowledge (e.g. correct citation, structuring of papers), procedural knowledge (e.g. research techniques, evaluation of information, writing scientific papers) as well as social and communication skills (e.g. collaboration through peer review, presentation).
* Economics and Ethics in Social Business, University of Vechta
Guide for the preparation of scientific papers: This guide provides a guideline for writing academic texts and presentations within the subject Economics and Ethics: Social Business. It covers the following topics: Type, scope and structure of written papers; citation methods; bibliography; layout; scientific posters and the organisation of presentation slides. Students learn how to structure a scientific paper and to present it formally correct.
* Guide to scientific work at the Institute for Media and Communication Studies, Freie Universität Berlin
This guide serves as a constant orientation for students at the Institute for Media and Communication Studies of Freie Universität Berlin. On the one hand, it summarises the requirements for academic work. On the other hand, the guide offers many tips and recommendations, examples and templates that students will need during their studies at this institute. Thus, it is as a central reference document for students. Using the guide draws students more profound into the topics literature research and source work; procedures for citation and documentation; plagiarism risk. Also, the guide deals with the preparation of presentations and the requirements for written assignments.
Keyword hits: research integrity, research ethics, research practice, responsible research conduct, research funding
Master's degree level
* Art. 55, Bavarian Higher Education Act
In the Bavarian Higher Education Act, it states that "[t]eaching and study shall prepare students for a profession and impart to them the required knowledge, skills and methods of their respective course of study in such a way as to enable them to carry out scientific or artistic work and to act responsibly in a liberal, democratic and social constitutional state". (cf. Bavarian Higher Education Act, Art. 55, 1, translated by Lisa Häberlein)
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Keyword hits: responsible research, research methods
* Faculty of Social Sciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
The Master's Thesis Tutorial in the field of Sociology gives graduates the opportunity to present their thesis. In groups, students discuss the progress and the results of their research. These discussions focus on choosing a topic, choice of method, structure and layout, literature selection and interpretating the results. The lectures, which are held by the students, enable them to develop their own presentation skills as well as their ability to construct an argument. The subsequent discussion helps to reflect critically on one's own research process.
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* Bridge Course – Scientific Work – Basic Questions, Orientation, Tools, Fernuniversität Hagen
This bridging course complements the extensive literature on scientific practice by providing initial orientation in scientific theory and research methodology: the course targets prospective students (before starting a study) and students in bachelor or master programmes. The course aims to understand the scientific practice and to apply it profitably. Students are being prepared for independent scientific work and familiarised with the quality standards which apply to scientific papers.
* Course program "Scientific Work", University of Applied Sciences Koblenz
In the course "Fundamentals of Scientific Writing", students gain an insight into theoretical concepts of writing processes and phases as well as the basic structure of a scientific paper. The students practice and discuss writing strategies, which can be used for structuring, developing a question, writing and revising scientific texts. Finally, it deals with characteristics of scientific language and formal aspects, such as citation rules. The course aims to ensure that students know the basics of scientific writing and understand what it means to work scientifically with texts.
* Centre for media-enhanced Teaching and Learning - Open self-study course for students "Basics of scientific work" (online), Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
The Centre for media-enhanced Teaching and Learning at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg in cooperation with the University of Applied Sciences Merseburg and the joint project HET LSA creates content, learning materials, brainstorming tasks and exercises around the topic of scientific thinking and working. The resulting online course is available to students of all disciplines as well as all interested parties. The self-learning course "Basics of scientific work during studies" offers students a more in-depth insight into the areas of copyright, term paper, presentation, scientific methods and citation methods.
Keyword hits: research procedures, research methods, research results
Doctorate degree
* Graduate Centre, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU)
The Graduate Centre of FAU offers alternating seminars for doctoral students and post-docs, as well as interdisciplinary information events and seminars on key qualifications. One example is the seminar on good scientific practice, where participants are taught the basics of ethical conduct in research. Topics include good research practice, data documentation, data management, authorship and publication procedures, avoidance of plagiarism, correct handling of sources, as well as mentoring, conflicts of interest and research collaboration. The content and scope of this seminar is based on the central DFG memorandum "Securing Good Scientific Practice" (2013), the current "Statutes for Securing Good Scientific Practice and Dealing with Scientific Misconduct at the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität-Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU)" and the recommendations of the curriculum for courses on "Good Scientific Practice" in Natural Sciences and Medicine.
The list of courses includes a seminar on scientific publications and quality assessment in cooperation with the University Library Erlangen-Nürnberg, where participants get insight into what they need to pay attention to when publishing as a young researcher. Another example from the list is a workshop on research data management, in which doctoral students receive an introduction to the basics of research data management. Topics include organisation, protection, description of digital research data, data management requirements of research funding organisations and scientific journals, publication of research data and re-use of external research data.
List of courses and their descriptions here
* Further education programme for doctoral students at Trier University in the discipline "Scientific Work", Trier University
Trier University offers a continuing education programme "Scientific Work" for postgraduate students. The programme ensures a high-quality standard throughout the university and also promotes career orientation during the doctoral phase. Furthermore, students get a more in-depth insight into the subject areas of presentation techniques and rhetoric; good scientific research; university didactics; exploitation of sources; scientific ethics or interdisciplinary research methods, and much more. Also, the individual sections offer subject-specific continuing education in a wide variety of areas.
* Research Integrity and Publication Ethics: Standards, Regulations, Good Practice - Justus-Liebig-University Giessen
This workshop addresses second-year PhD students in the humanities and social sciences to reflect on the fundamental standards of research. It mainly focusses aspects such as the research cycle, codes of conduct and the relevant regulations at Justus Liebig University, data management, authorship and supervision.
Keyword hits: good research practice, data management, authorship, publication, plagiarism, mentoring
RI/RE examples in Danish curricula
Secondary school level
* Ministry of Children and Education
At the secondary school level, there are no cross-cutting curricula on research integrity or research ethics. However, there is a general course on student training projects, which combines different scientific disciplines. In this course students examine and analyse a concrete problem depending on their choice of specialisation by using their knowledge, skills, and methods and including basic scientific theory (Vejledning Studieretningsprojektet – stx 2019 (pdf)). It is advised to introduce the students to proper citation and to referencing literature. Still, there are no requirements that students be introduced to ethical considerations related to their analysis before beginning.
Course description here under "Læreplan Studieretningsprojektet"
Keyword hits: Secondary school, research integrity, research ethics, individual project assignment
If ethical considerations are included in study programmes, they are taken up in the individual courses themselves e.g. biology, physics, chemistry, biotechnology. In the overall curricula developed by the Ministry of Children and Education, it is stated that biology courses (A,B,C-level) teach reflective competences in using knowledge and appropriate methods from the biological field to reflect on potential social, technological, environmental and ethical problems, and to develop and assess solutions (translated from Vejledning A,B og C – stx 2018 (pdf)).
Course description here under "Læreplan Studieretningsprojektet"
Keyword hits: reflective competences, individual courses, biology, ethical issues
Bachelor's degree level
At the bachelor level, programmes seldom give RI much attention. A rough screening of bachelor programmes at different universities indicates that no RI courses are available for bachelor students.
However, RI issues are integrated into the teaching of research methods in various bachelor programmes – see the following example:
* Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark
During the first semester of the course ‘Introduction to Public Health Science’ within SDU’s Bachelor of Science programme in Public health, the students are introduced to and taught about the critical approaches regarding the use of references, presenting findings and conclusions.
November 30 2020
Keyword hits: bachelor programme, undergraduate programme, research integrity, research methods
* Faculty of Health Science, Copenhagen University
The mandatory course ‘Ethics and Health Policy Analysis’ will be part of Copenhagen University’s programme Public Health, as of the autumn of 2022. The aim of this course, among other things, is to cover the ethical issues related to public health science. It also introduces ethical theories as well as their application in the context of prevention, prioritisation of healthcare and the discussion on equality in health. The goal is for students to be able to use theories in analyses of health policy issues and to critically examine how policy priorities and decisions have an ethical character.
November 30 2020
Keyword hits: bachelor programme, undergraduate programme, research integrity, research methods
Master's degree level
* Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark
In some master's studies, RI and its wider ethical and professional challenges are emphasised. For instance, the principles of RI and their application to public health issues are covered in the public health ethics course of SDU’s Master of Science programme. The responsible conduct of research and the role of research ethics committees are also discussed in this course.
Course description here
Keyword hits: master programme, graduate programme, research integrity, research ethics, public health, responsible conduct of research, professional challenges
* Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Copenhagen University
At Copenhagen University, the elective course on "Public Health in the Media" is an example of a reflective course that addresses RI issues connected to "the changing media landscape", where the students "connect the specific topic of public health communication to wider debates about trust, scientific expertise, and knowledge in an era of 'fake news' and social media".
Course description here
Keyword hits: master programme, undergraduate programme, elective course, public health, communication, media, trust, scientific expertise, fake news
Doctorate's degree
* Roskilde University
Mandatory PhD programmes can vary slightly in content, e.g. the course "Introduction to Research Ethics and Integrity" by Roskilde University includes an introduction to research integrity including the philosophical basis of research ethics.
Course description here
Keyword hits: postgraduate programme, PhD course, research ethics, research integrity, philosophy
* University of Southern Denmark
The Faculty of Health Sciences provides the PhD course "Responsible Conduct of Research". This course gives an overall introduction to research ethics as well as more practical knowledge on how to make a data management plan.
Course description here
Keyword hits: Postgraduate programme, PhD course, research ethics, research integrity, data management
* Technical Information Center of Denmark, DTU Library, Danish Technical University of Denmark
DTU Library has made the navigation and learning of a good research integrity, accessible. The following link shows how PhD students and researchers in their early careers can properly manage research data. The thorough guidance of data management covers the next three steps 'planning and start-up', 'research and analysis' and finally 'archiving and sharing'.
November 30 2020
Keyword hits: Postgraduate programme, research ethics, research integrity, data management
Additional remarks
In Denmark, the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science published the Danish Code of Conduct for Research Integrity (DCCRI) (Ministry of Higher Education and Science, 2014). This guideline is a combined effort across all Danish universities and higher-level institutions to develop a common framework for ensuring research integrity (RI) in higher education and in research.
The DCCRI is based on international guidelines (The Singapore Statement, The Montreal Statement, The European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity). In regard to teaching, training, and supervision in the contexts of RI, the DCCRI states outlines the responsibility of universities in introducing the principles of RI within undergraduate (bachelor) and graduate (master’s) programmes. In PhD and postdoctoral programmes, the universities should include specific RI teaching and training as well as supervision.
Open PhD courses on the subject of responsible conduct of research are provided by the universities of Aarhus and Copenhagen and The University of Southern Denmark (SDU). It is mandatory for all PhD Students in Denmark to take a course on research ethics and integrity (also referred to in Denmark as responsible conduct of research).
RI/RE examples in Polish curricula
Secondary school level
* Ministry of Education
In the national curriculum there is a specific subject dedicated to RI/RE issues in Poland, called "Ethics". Participation in this course is voluntary and there are schools where Ethics classes do not take place if there are no Ethics teachers available.
Secondary school students who participate in Ethics may be introduced to selected issues, depending on the head teacher. One of these topics is Ethics in Science and Technology, which enables students to deal with examples of appropriate and inappropriate use of new technologies. Information technology, for example, calls student's attention to the fact that progress in research and society is made through the acquisition of knowledge and fosters their ability to analyse selected moral problems related to research and technical progress (e.g. problems of data protection, cyber-violence, development of artificial intelligence, transhumanism).
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Keyword hits: introduction to Ethics, identity, subjectivity, moral development, creating statements about morality, self-education and knowledge of ethics, creating statements with an emphasis on correctness of one’s justifications)
Bachelor’s degree level
* Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University
The course on "Ethics of scientific research involving people" covers various topics such as analysing medical definitions contained in Polish law, like 'research experiments' and 'clinical study of medicinal products', and examining the effects of applying these definitions on research practice in Poland. International guidelines such as the Nuremberg Code, the Helsinki Declaration, the International Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical Research involving Human Subjects (CIOMS), the European Bioethical Convention and others will also be discussed. In addition, the importance of informed consent for participation in clinical trials will be addressed along with examples of properly prepared informed consent forms; the question of consent and objection of persons without legal capacity will be explored as well. Other issues covered in this course include the ethics of research on vulnerable populations, ethical problems in clinical trials, ethics in epidemiological and health policy research, research ethics, clinical ethics and what are known as learning health systems, and the working fields of bioethics committees in Poland and around the world.
Course description here
Keyword hits: bioethics, clinical ethics, ethics, ethical procedures in clinical trials and human research, ethical, social and legal conditions of exercising the medical profession
* Institute of Philosophy, at University of Warsaw
An elective seminar organised by Institute of Philosophy, at University of Warsaw on: Ethics of new technologies.
The seminar is related to the following study programmes:
- Inter-faculty Studies in Bioinformatics and Systems Biology
- Bachelor's degree, first cycle programme, Computer Science
- Bachelor's degree, first cycle programme, Mathematics
- Master's degree, second cycle programme, Bioinformatics and Systems Biology
- Master's degree, second cycle programme, Computer Science
- Master's degree, second cycle programme, Mathematics
This general course is designed to acknowledge students with ethical problems concerning the contemporary development of technology and its impact on biology and medicine. The programme will divide into two blocks: more general one (emphasising philosophical and methodological problems) and a more specific one. General ethical issues deal with the relationship between technology and normative sphere, responsibility and its scope in relation to instrumental thinking and technical activity as well as attitudes taken nowadays towards technology (either enthusiastic or sceptical). Specific problems deal with ways technology is involved in moral and social human life in the context of biology and medicine, but not exclusively. They include privacy, professional responsibilities in technical professions, computer ethics, nanoethics, neuroethics, roboethics, autonomous technology (including military use), technology in cosmos (terraforming) and transhumanism. Besides gaining knowledge, students should develop their argumentative skills in respective subjects and appreciate the role of technology in the contemporary world as well as its manifold impact on the individual and social life of humans.
December 2 2020
Master’s degree level
* Faculty of Cognitive Science, Institute of Philosophy, Jagiellonian University
At the Faculty of Cognitive Science, there is an obligatory course on "Research Ethics" for 1st year students that introduces them to the ethics of scientific research.The course addresses legal and ethical standards of scientific research, international and national regulations, as well as principles and criteria for the ethical evaluation of scientific research with human participation. This includes the principle of respect for the autonomy of research participants (the rule of informed consent, confidentiality, non-infringement of privacy), the principle of care for the benefit of the research participant (the requirement to avoid unjustified risks; the principle of balance in randomised clinical trials) or the principle of fair treatment of research participants (fairness in the selection of research participants, fair compensation for damage suffered by research participants).At the end of the semester, students know and understand the rules of scientific research, the ethical aspects involved and the legal requirements. They are able to identify ethical principles of scientific research and to present and discuss ethical controversies in connection with research activities. The students are ready to shape their own attitudes under the influence of the ideas presented, but without giving up intellectual independence or criticism.
Course description here
* Faculty of Philosophy, University of Warsaw
The primary goal of this course Research Ethics is to provide students with conceptual, theoretical and methodological tools necessary to understand and analyse problems of research practice, in particular biomedical research involving human subjects and research on animals. Secondarily, it is designed to help students develop analytical and argumentative skills necessary for identifying, examining and resolving ethical dilemmas brought about by the rapid development of biomedical sciences.
Keyword hits: general ethics and professional ethics, scientific research dilemmas, ethical principles of research procedures
Doctorate's degree
* Department of Management, Poznań University of Economics and Business
For PhD students in the 3rd year of study, the participation in a course called "Ethics in scientific research and intellectual property protection" is obligatory.According to the presented educational programme, the course conveys the basics of knowledge in the field of ethical reflection on scientific practice while developing researchers' ethical and methodological self-awareness and professional ethics. It also focuses on increasing the awareness of copyright and intellectual property protection rules.
PDF available here
* Faculty of Philosophy, University of Warsaw
The course Research Ethics is divided into a lecture and workshops. Students are expected to attend the lecture and at least two out nine workshops, two instruction hours each. The lecture covers key questions of research ethics and research integrity. Topics of the lecture include 1) the social value of scientific research, 2) the scientist's ethos, social role and social responsibility, 3) research integrity, 4) standards of publication ethics, 5) the role and process of ethics review of research proposals, 6) conflict of interests. The topics of workshops include among others: consent to participation in research, research involving children and vulnerable subjects, history research and in the auxiliary sciences of history, big data and artificial intelligence research, animals in research. The course is offered in Polish and English (for international students).
Keyword hits: general ethics and professional ethics, cognitive and instrumental norms / values, responsibility of the researcher, ethical principles of research procedures
Additional remark on Higher Education new regulation regarding PhD studies in Poland.
On 1st October 2018, the new Law on Higher Education and Science entered into force. The Act requires Polish universities to establish doctoral schools (that are to replace so-called doctoral studies that could be held by any faculty within academia).
Now (till 2022) there are both doctoral studies and doctoral schools. The information presented below is based on data collected from websites of doctoral schools.
* Doctoral Schools at the University of Warsaw (UW)
Starting in 2019, doctoral education at UW has been conducted in 33 fields of doctoral studies and in four newly-established doctoral schools (of humanities, social sciences, exact and natural sciences, and interdisciplinary).
For all PhD students, there is an obligatory set of subjects, where issues referring to research integrity are covered by topics such as Ethics, Copyright and Publication strategies.
The courses present the main issues of academic ethics, including their role in contemporary moral thinking. The main content of the Ethics lecture is the analysis of the basic concepts and methods used in this field and the presentation of normative theories. During the course, specific examples of applying ethical principles in practice will be discussed, and the doctoral students will be provided with basic knowledge in the field of copyright and related rights concerning research and teaching activities. The course familiarises PhD students with publishing practices in their discipline and provides them with tools to facilitate their publishing activity. In particular, doctoral students will learn the basic principles of submitting research results for publication and reviewing scientific articles; The students will also discuss the essential bibliometric indicators and their role. Additionally, the course will examine the grant application as a specific scientific text.
December 2 2020
* Doctoral School at Warsaw School of Economics (SGH)
The purpose of SGH Doctoral School is a) to provide support in conducting the research needed for writing and defending doctoral theses, b) to convey cutting-edge world knowledge in social sciences (such as Economics and Finance, Management and Quality Sciences, Political and Administration Sciences), and c) to reach the learning outcomes of qualification level 8 of the Polish Qualification Framework.
Ethics in science is one of 5 courses for all education programmes. The aim of this course is for the doctoral students to know and understand the economic, legal and ethical conditions of the conducted research activity. After the course, the doctoral students should be ready to maintain and develop the ethos of the research community by conducting scientific activity independently and ethically. They learn to respect the principle of public ownership of the results of scientific activity, take into account the principles of intellectual property protection, and conduct opinion-forming activities responsibly and ethically.
December 2 2020
* Doctoral School at the University of Silesia
The aim of the Doctoral School is for the doctoral students to prepare top-quality doctoral dissertations and be prepared for participating in academic and social life as researchers, academic teachers, specialists and effective administrators of knowledge. The school educates doctoral students in all the 21 disciplines in which the University of Silesia is entitled to confer the doctoral degree. Part of the curriculum, such as Ethics in Research, is compulsory for all doctoral students. The course introduces doctoral students to the broad spectrum of contemporary problems related to ethics in research, with particular emphasis on the issues of plagiarism, the associated standards and good scientific practice, as well as standards and legal requirements on protection of persons involved in research and personal data processing. Besides, there are also some research integrity issues presented within the intellectual property rights and copyrights course that refers to providing doctoral students with general knowledge on individual problems and the Polish legal regulations concerning the protection of intellectual property against European and international laws. The doctoral students are introduced to selected legal acts regulating the matters of protection of artistic, literary and scientific property (copyrights), and the chosen case law examples.
December 2 2020
RI/RE examples in Bulgarian curricula
Secondary school level
* Ministry of Education and Science
According to the educational programme provided by Bulgaria’s Ministry of Education and Science, one of the modules for the philosophy-profiled high school students in their last year of secondary education is "Philosophy of Science". Some of the discussed topics include ethical values in science, authority, objectivity, and bioethics.
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Keyword hits: science, philosophy, skills, research, methodology
Bachelor’s degree level
* Faculty of Philosophy and History, Plovdiv University ‘Paisii Hilendarski'
One of the obligatory courses for sociology students of the Faculty of Philosophy and History at Plovdiv University ‘Paisii Hilendarski' is "Biotechnologies - scientific, engineering and ethical problems". According to the curriculum, by the end of the semester the student should be able to recognise and intervene in social, economic and ethical problems caused by modern biotechnology.
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Keyword hits: ethics, bioethics, science, skills, biotechnologies
* Library studies and information technologies University, Faculty of Library Science and Cultural Heritage
The study program 'Library and information sciences, and knowledge management' consists of various courses aiming at providing the students with viable knowledge of academic writing, information sources, bibliography. Along with those, the course introduces the new forms of knowledge management, such as online teaching and the methods for field responsible research.
December 2 2020
Keywords: academic writing, knowledge management, research
* Plovdiv University
Filled with a sense of responsibility to society and the professional and personal destiny of sociology students, the lecturers from the Department of Applied and Institutional Sociology offer the program Sociology of Law, Economics and Innovation. The university developed this course in response to the need for early specialisation and preparation for practical professional realisation of students studying for a bachelor's degree. Within the many courses studied throughout this program, students are introduced to knowledge in the area of modelling and conducting basic and applied research and the further spread of results.
December 2 2020
Keywords: research, information, knowledge, innovation
Master’s degree level
* Faculty of Philosophy, Sofia University
According to the web portal of the Sofia University’s Faculty of Philosophy, one of the master’s degree programmes, called "Integrative Bioethics", includes courses such as ethics, introduction to bioethics, reproductive ethics, medical ethics, social and ethical aspects of biotechnologies, bio law, justice and solidarity in medicine.
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Keyword hits: bioethics, ethics, research, science, integration
* New Bulgarian University
The course "International Legal Protection of Intellectual Property" is designed to form knowledge about the international protection of intellectual property. The fundamental conventions in this field are studied: the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property and the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, with their principles and institutes. The most important agreements in the field of patent law are considered - the Patent Cooperation Treaty and the European Patent Convention.
* Fundamentals of Intellectual Property Management
The course "Fundamentals of Intellectual Property Management" aims to form knowledge and basic skills related to the management of the intellectual property in the perspective of modern socio-economic conditions, characterised by a dynamically changing business environment, increased competition and the related need for interdisciplinary in the functioning of each business unit.
Keywords: intellectual property, integrity, protection, management
Doctorate’s degree
* Faculty of Economics, University of National and World Economy
One of the requisites for a Doctorate’s degree in Economics from the University of National and World Economy is the "Methodology and Methods of Science Research." According to the curriculum, the course discusses ethics and moral values in science, principles, practices and case studies as well as formation, regulation and regimentation of science research principles.
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Keyword hits: research, science, ethics, moral, values
* Burgas Free University
The master's program in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics provides graduates with a body of knowledge in the field of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics. It introduces them to the problems and various contemporary views related to these areas of knowledge. The training includes courses in stochastic methods, logic systems, knowledge management and the responsible spread of knowledge, neural networks, machine learning, intelligent decision making, robotics, sensor systems.
Keywords: AI, knowledge, knowledge management, intelligent, decision making
* New Bulgarian University
The course "Current issues of intellectual property" aims to address the main issues related to the legal protection of intellectual property. Emphasis is placed on the study of the problems essential for patent law, such as patentable invention, biotechnological and biological inventions, production in the Patent Office for the grant of a patent. Along with the problems of industrial legislation, some issues of copyright are also considered. The objects of copyright are studied: the works of literature, science and art, as well as the rights of their creators and holders.
Keywords: copyright, science, intellectual property
Secondary school level
The secondary school curriculum was developed by Directorate of Education and Discipline under the Ministry of National Education. In the Science Curriculum, regarding the research ethics, there is a statement on page 11: "The teacher uses the spirit and sense of research and scientific thinking in his students. It encourages students to develop and ensures that universal moral values, national and cultural values and scientific, ethical principles are adopted in their practices. Students engage in effective communication and cooperation while researching and questioning information with their peers." (Translated by Muhammet Demirbilek, Path2Integrity Lead Turkey)
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Keyword hits: research, values, scientific, ethical
Doctorate's degree
* University of Stockholm
Research ethics for Human Science: Starting 2017, the Human Science Area offers a recurrent course package in research ethics, primarily aimed at PhD students. The department of philosophy hosts these courses, but teachers from other subjects are involved in each class. The whole package is available at least once per academic year, or more often, depending on demand. Teaching is in English, and the course package comprises five courses of 1,5 credits each. Each course is designed to be the equivalent of one week of work, including preparation and examination. Still, the teaching is concentrated to one half-day of lectures and seminars per course. The topics are 1) introduction; 2) Conduct and misconduct; 3) Harm and consent; 4) Values; 5) Ethical vettings.
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Keyword hits: ethics, research, misconduct, science
Doctorate's degree
* The University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh has the following resources available for research integrity training:
"This Institute of Academic Development (IAD) online course, run by the University, is designed to help postgraduate research students understand the core principals of research ethics and integrity."
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The Global Research Ethics and Integrity course is an older online resource and was a joint project of members of Universitas 21, an international network of universities in 12 countries, which aimed to engage postgraduate students in considerations of ethical issues in a global context.
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Keyword hits: research, ethics, integrity
Doctorate's degree
* University of Dundee
The university has developed an online video-based training course - Responsible and Ethical Practice in Research and Publication. It promotes researcher awareness and engagement with research integrity issues. Postgraduate research students and academic and research staff can access the course. The course is mandatory for postgraduate research students registered from August 2016. The course covers: ethical approval and practice, plagiarism and recycling of text and research outputs, authorship, collaborative research and data management, peer review and publication ethics, general issues such as research misconduct and questionable research practice.
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Keyword hits: research, ethics, integrity, plagiarism, authorship
Doctorate's degree
* Université de Bordeaux via France Université Numerique
The University of Bordeaux has developed this course on research integrity, in partnership with CPU (Conférence des Présidents d’Université), and the main French research bodies (COMETS-CNRS, INSERM and INRA). With the support of the Bordeaux IdEx and the Collège des écoles doctorales, this course was designed with the Mission d'appui à la pédagogie et à l'innovation (MAPI) of the University of Bordeaux. The objective of this training is to disseminate a culture of research integrity within institutions. Rather than passing on knowledge (this is not a learning process), it is a matter of raising awareness of the various issues associated with research integrity and encouraging a critical approach by proposing the basic elements necessary to understand and support the requirements of research integrity. This training aims: to inform you about research integrity issues, to alert you to the mechanisms that can lead to scientific misconducts, to encourage you to develop a sense of responsibility and conduct yourself in a spirit of scientific integrity.
This training has been attended by PhD students from the University of Bordeaux since 2017 and by other higher education and research institutions since 2018. It was introduced as a MOOC on FUN from November 2018. Nearly 10,000 learners registered each year for the first two sessions (2018/19 and 2019/20). Of the 2,511 learners who have filled out the training evaluation questionnaire, 97% considered it useful and 99% that they had acquired new knowledge.
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Keyword hits: research, integrity, partnership, awereness
RI Curricula in Slovenia
Doctorate's Degree
* The University of Maribor, Faculty of Economics and Business (UM FEB)
The subject "Social responsibility and competitiveness of an organisation" is an elective subject of the doctoral program for PhD students at the University of Maribor, Faculty of Economics and Business. The course objective is to present students the interdependence between selected developmental viewpoints of an organisation with the emphasis on social responsibility and competitiveness of the organisation, to give them broad understanding and prepare them from research in this area. Students acquire skills to identify the research questions and to form research hypotheses that are to be tested by qualitative and/or quantitative research methods. We are preparing them to be able to develop models and find solutions for problems and questions in areas of competitiveness of an organisation in a socially responsible way, for a business environment. Competences are gained through analysis, synthesis and evaluation of the research areas: Corporate governance and management, Social responsibility, vision and business policy interdependence, Business policy and strategies interdependence, Strategic management and ways of achieving competitiveness of an organisation, Strategies and practices of achieving competitiveness of an organisation, Social responsibility, business policy and strategies, and Integrating social responsibility into development policies of an organisation. Selected intended learning outcomes: Students gain the ability to prepare a scientific contribution (article or chapter) with relevant theoretical and research knowledge at the forefront of the social responsibility, strategic management and competitiveness of an organisation discipline for publication at peer reviewed standards / publication quality.
Ethical issues consideration: Students acquire an understanding of social responsibility development, its influence on future society development with including social responsibility (also the ethics of interdependence and cooperation) into the business practice of competitiveness planning. Selected key / transferable skills: students can prevent or resolve conflict situations within teams, because of social responsibility and ethics of interdependence understanding. They further acquire the ability to take the initiative in the entrepreneurial realisation of social responsibility to achieve the competitiveness of the organisation. Lastly, all students gain the autonomy as an independent and self-critical learner and are able to communicate clearly and effectively with specialists and non-specialists – others."
RI Curricula in Croatia
Master's Degree
* The University of Zagreb, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Psychology
In the master's programme in Psychology at the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, a mandatory course Ethics in Psychological Research and Practice is delivered. The course focuses on general ethical principles, theories of ethics, ethics in psychological research, ethical codes, recognising ethical issues and dilemmas, and the process of making ethical decisions.
Doctorate's Degree
*University of Split School of Medicine (USSM)
The TRIBE (Translational Research in Biomedicine) PhD programme provides rigorous academic training in biomedicine within an international and research-focused environment. Within the programme, course Ethics in Research focuses on issues in research ethics, ethics committees, the role of data and safety monitoring board, publishing ethics etc.
Also, a Research Integrity (RI) advisor is appointed, whose role is to help helps doctoral students address ethical and procedural challenges in planning and conducting their research. RI advisors can also give advice on questionable or prejudicial research practices as well as the process of reporting violations of ethical codes or code of conduct.
Different levels
In the United States, many universities subscribe to the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI Program - citiprogram.org), which was established in 2000, with its mission, "promoting the public's trust in the research enterprise by providing high quality, peer-reviewed, web-based educational courses in research, ethics, regulatory oversight, responsible conduct of research, research administration, and other topics pertinent to the interests of member organisations and individual learners." Member universities often require their students, particularly graduate students, to undergo CITI training. A variety of courses are offered, according to the field of study, e.g. humanities, behavioural sciences, engineering, etc. The university departments will choose from a catalogue of courses to determine which are required. Independent researchers and individuals can also take CITI courses, as organisational and individual subscriptions are both possible.
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This interactive, online programme incorporates the values and obligations of the Concordat to Support Research Integrity, alongside up-to-date examples, scenarios and case studies. The content and learning design have been comprehensively rewritten and restructured to drive active learning, reflection, and engagement, integrating animations, polls, video interviews, and a range of activities. The programme will provide evidence of comprehensive training in the responsible conduct of research at your institution, and build confidence that researchers are working to the highest integrity standards. This programme’s flexible, modular structure means that it can be tailored to support researchers working at all levels, across five key disciplines (Arts & Humanities, Engineering, Natural Science, Social Science, and Biomedical Science), with an approach designed to be accessible to postgraduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and early-career researchers.
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