# Presentation: 400541

## Goals Reported by Instructors for Teaching of Research Ethics 

- Dena Plemmons
- Michael Kalichman
- Research Ethics Program
- University of California, San Diego
- La Jolla, CA

## Background

- Instruction in Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) is increasingly required
*Evidence for effectiveness* depends on first defining goals
*Goals* for requirements and teaching are not clearly articulated

## Methods - Sample

- Course instructors
- recruited through training grant recipients  in 2000 (n=116)
- 84 provided names of instructors
-  115 instructors named
- 50 instructors at 37 different institutions

## Methods - Survey

- Survey crafted from earlier informal survey and focus group data
- Survey included demographic questions and questions about goals across five domains: knowledge, skills, attitudes, behavior, and community

## Ranking of Knowledge Goals

*	**“**If knowledge is defined to include facts, guidelines, policies, data and other sources of information that answer ‘what’ questions, how do you rank the importance of teaching the following areas of knowledge in RCR instruction?”*

## Ranking of Knowledge Goals

- Ethical dimensions, principles and/or standards of RCR (vs. common practice)
- Policies, guidelines, and/or rules
- Distinguishing between compliant versus ethical behavior
- Ambiguities and gray areas relative to acceptable and unacceptable practices
- Research misconduct; e.g. definition, response to allegations, institutional procedures
- Resources for making ethical decisions

## Knowledge Goals

*“**make them aware of policies and regulations”*
*“**know where to go for information”*
*“**Graduate students think they understand research ethics based on egregious examples; however most issues are in the gray area. [We] need to teach them to recognize that it is the small things that can make an enormous difference - especially in regards to impacting the community.”*

## Ranking of Skills Goals

*	**“**If skills are defined to include proficiencies or abilities, how do you rank the importance of teaching the following skills areas?”*

## Ranking of Skills Goals

- Ethical decision making
- Critical thinking and/or problem solving
- Conflict resolution, arbitration, mediation
- People management
- Stress management
- Communication skills
- Strategies for finding and evaluating RCR information and resources

## Skills Goals

*"1) recognize when they have an ethical problem, *
*    **2) know how to analyze the problem, [and]*
*    **3) come up with strategies for resolving it.”*
*" identify the stakeholders in any ethical problem, [and] what those people have to gain or lose based on different decisions that are made..."*

## Attitudinal Goals

*“**to encourage a sense that part of doing good science is through fulfilling ethical principles, that those two things go hand in hand, as opposed to being in opposition”*
*“**to adopt the attitude that issues related to RCR are not remote or occult, or not an integral part of their lives as scientists. You can't avoid it. Duty is thrust upon you simply by virtue of your position. That attitude ought to confer responsibility.”*

## “to act in a way that embodies the insights they've gotten in the course in terms of integrity, including having the wherewithal to resist social pressures, institutional pressures, financial pressures, to cut corners.”

“want them to act with consistency. We can do through a simple problem in a step-by-step process where they’re getting the answer or solution.”

*“**want them to act with consistency. We can do through a simple problem in a step-by-step process where they’re getting the answer or solution.”*

**Behavioral Goals I**

## “[want students] to demonstrate commitment, responsibility, and respect for all aspects of research, including subjects of research, whether they’re animal models or human models, as well as those that would be affected by the results of the research.”
“See that individuals have the will and the courage to follow through on what it takes to act ethically.”
“to decrease the amount of unethical behavior going on in the world”

*“**See that individuals have the will and the courage to follow through on what it takes to act ethically.”*
*“**to decrease the amount of unethical behavior going on in the world”*

**Behavioral Goals II**

## Noteworthy Responses

*“**Some who really want to get away with [research misconduct] will eventually. Seminars will not dissuade them.”*
*“**Chances are we’ll do very little to influence the way people think, but we’ll provide them with tools to make a decision.”*
*“**We are not looking to create changes in attitude.”*
*“**get through it without dying of boredom”*

## Slide 17

## RCR Instruction isnot generally required

- 49 of 50 instructors reported that RCR instruction was required for only some or no researchers
- 44 of 50 instructors reported that RCR instruction was required for only some or no trainees

## RCR instruction not evident

- 25% were not, in their views, providing RCR instruction.
- 8 instructors: attendance in their courses entirely voluntary and 3 instructors: course not required for those on NIH training grants.
*22% did not see – or didn’t know they were seeing – NIH trainees. *

## Conclusions

- Instructors of research ethics courses reported a wide range of goals
- Where RCR instruction exists, it is not widely required
- RCR education is neither included in nor viewed as part of basic research training.

## Recommendations

- Learn more about those who are teaching RCR courses
- Learn more about the range of  formats being used for RCR education

## Acknowledgements

- Carole Roth, Ph.D.
- Liberty Smith, Ph.D.
- Andrea Paik
- These studies were funded by NIH grant AI001591.