Mentoring for Responsible Research: The Creation of a Curriculum for Faculty to Teach RCR in the Research Environment | Science and Engineering Ethics Skip to main content
Springer Nature Link
Log in

Mentoring for Responsible Research: The Creation of a Curriculum for Faculty to Teach RCR in the Research Environment

  • ORIGINAL PAPER
  • Published:
Science and Engineering Ethics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Despite more than 25 years of a requirement for training in the responsible conduct of research (RCR), there is still little consensus about what such training should include, how it should be delivered, nor what constitutes “effectiveness” of such training. This lack of consensus on content, approaches and outcomes is evident in recent data showing high variability in the development and implementation of RCR instruction across universities and programs. If we accept that one of the primary aims of instruction in RCR/research ethics is “to foster a community of social responsibility” (Antes et al. 2009: 398), then it makes sense to consider the research environment itself—where learning one’s science happens where one also engages in social interaction around that science. In order to take the best advantage of that already existing/naturally occurring research environment, the authors, through a deliberative, collaborative, and integrative process, crafted a workshop curriculum meant to arm research faculty with concrete and specific tools to effectively introduce research ethics in the context of the research environment.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
¥17,985 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price includes VAT (Japan)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Anderson, M. S. (2011). Research misconduct and misbehavior. In T. Bertram Gallant (Ed.), Creating the ethical academy: A systems approach to understanding misconduct and empowering change in higher education (pp. 83–96). New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, M. S., Horn, A. S., Risbey, K. R., Ronning, E. A., DeVries, R., & Martinson, B. C. (2007). What do mentoring and training in the responsible conduct of research have to do with scientists’ misbehavior? Findings from a national survey of NIH-funded scientists. Academic Medicine, 82(9), 853–860.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, M. S., Louis, K. S., & Earle, J. (1994). Disciplinary and departmental effects on observations of faculty and graduate student misconduct. Journal of Higher Education, 65, 331–350.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Antes, A. L., Murphy, S. T., Waples, E. P., Mumford, M. D., Brown, R. P., Connelly, S., & Devenport, L.D. (2009). A meta-analysis of ethics instruction effectiveness in the sciences. Ethics and Behavior, 19(5), 379–402.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bebeau, M. J. (2002). Influencing the moral dimensions of professional practice: Implications for teaching and assessing for research integrity. In N. A. Steneck & M. H. Sheetz (Eds.), Proceedings of the first ORI research conference on research integrity (pp. 179–187). Washington, DC: Office of Research Integrity. http://www.ori.hhs.gov/documents/proceedings_rri.pdf.

  • Bebeau, M. J., Pimple, K. D., Muskavitch, K. M. T., Borden, S. L., & Smith, D. H. (1995). Moral reasoning in scientific research: Cases for teaching and assessment (p. 83). Bloomington: Indiana University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berg, P. (2008). Meetings that changed the world: Asilomar 1975: DNA modification secured. Nature, 455, 290–291.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, S., & Kalichman, M. W. (1998). Effects of training in the responsible conduct of research: A survey of graduate students in experimental sciences. Science and Engineering Ethics, 4(4), 487–498.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Drake, M., Griffin, P., Kirkman, R., & Swann, J. (2005). Engineering ethical curricula: Assessment and comparison of two approaches. Journal of Engineering Education, 94, 223–231.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DuBois, J. M., Schilling, D., Heitman, E., Steneck, N., & Kon, A. (2010). Instruction in the responsible conduct of research: An inventory of programs and materials within CTSAs. Clinical and Translational Science, 3(3), 109–111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eastwood, S., Derish, P., Leash, E., & Ordway, S. (1996). Ethical issues in biomedical research: Perceptions and practices of postdoctoral research fellows responding to a survey. Science and Engineering Ethics, 2, 89–114.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eisen, A., & Berry, R. M. (2002). The Absent Professor: Why we don’t teach research ethics and what to do about it. American Journal of Bioethics, 2(4), 38–49.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elliott, D., & Stern, J. E. (1996). Evaluating teaching and students’ learning of academic research ethics. Science and Engineering Ethics, 2, 345–366.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Faden, R. R., Kass, N. E., Klag, M. J., & Krag, S. S. (2002). On the importance of research ethics and mentoring. The American Journal of Bioethics 2(4), 50–51. The MIT Press. Retrieved January 16, 2017, from Project MUSE database.

  • Fredrickson, D. S. (2001). The recombinant DNA controversy: A memoir. Science, politics, and the public interest 1974–1981. Washington, DC: ASM Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Fryer-Edwards, K. (2002). Addressing the hidden curriculum in scientific research. American Journal of Bioethics, 2(4), 58–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heitman, E., & Petty, J. (2010). Preparing students to navigate cross-national differences in the research environment. In M. S. Anderson & N. H. Steneck (Eds.), International research collaborations: Much to be gained, many ways to get in trouble (pp. 201–214). New York, NY: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heitman, E., Salis, P. J., & Bulger, R. E. (2001). Teaching ethics in biomedical science: Effects on moral reasoning skills. In Proceedings of the first ORI research conference on research integrity (pp. 195–202).

  • Kalichman, M. (2013). A brief history of RCR education. Accountability in Research, 20(5–6), 380–394.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kalichman, M. W., & Friedman, P. J. (1992). A pilot study of biomedical trainees’ perceptions concerning research ethics. Academic Medicine, 67, 769–775.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kalichman, M. W., & Hinman, L. M. (2005). Consensus and the search for pluripotent stem cells. Stem Cell Reviews, 1(4), 287–290.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kalichman, M. W., & Plemmons, D. (2007). Reported goals for responsible conduct of research courses. Academic Medicine, 82(9), 846–851.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Langlais, P. J., & Bent, B. J. (2014). Individual and organizational predictors of the ethicality of graduate students’ responses to research integrity issues. Science and Engineering Ethics, 20, 897. doi:10.1007/s11948-013-9471-2.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-42374-0.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, D., Rao, A., & Sloan, L. (2011). Ethnicity, acculturation, and plagiarism: A criterion study of unethical academic conduct. Human Organization, 70(1), 88–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morrison, G. R., Ross, S. M., Kalman, H. K., & Kemp, J. E. (2012). Designing effective instruction (7th ed.). New Jersey: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mulhearn, T. J., Steele, L. M., Watts, L. L., Medeiros, K.E., Mumford, M.D. & Connelly, S.  (2016). Review of instructional approaches in ethics education. Science and Engineering Ethics. doi:10.1007/s11948-016-9803-0.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mumford, M. D., Connelly, S., Brown, R. P., Murphy, S. T., Hill, J. H., Antes, A. L., Waples, E.P., & Devenport, L.D. (2008). A sensemaking approach to ethics training for scientists: Preliminary evidence of training effectiveness. Ethics and Behavior, 18, 315–346.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • National Academy of Engineering. (2009). Ethics education and scientific and engineering research: What’s been learned? What should be done? Summary of a workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi:10.17226/12695.

    Google Scholar 

  • NIFA/USDA. (2013). Responsible and ethical conduct of research. https://nifa.usda.gov/responsible-and-ethical-conduct-research.

  • NIH. (1989). Requirement for programs on the responsible conduct of research in national research service award institutional training programs. NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, 18(45), 1. http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/historical/1989_12_22_Vol_18_No_45.pdf.

  • NIH. (1992). Reminder and update: Requirement for instruction in the responsible conduct of research in National Research Service Award institutional training grants. NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, 21(43). http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not92-236.html.

  • NIH. (2009). Update on the requirement for instruction in the responsible conduct of research. Release Date: November 24, 2009. NOTICE: OD-10-019. http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-10-019.html.

  • NSF. (2009). RCR frequently asked questions. https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/rcr/rcrfaqs.jsp.

  • Peiffer, A. M., Laurenti, P. J., & Hugenschmidt, C. E. (2008). Fostering a culture of responsible lab conduct. Science, 322, 1186. doi:10.1126/science.322.5905.1186b.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Plemmons, D. K., & Kalichman, M. W. (2007). Reported goals for knowledge to be learned in responsible conduct of research courses. Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics, 2(2), 57–66. doi:10.1525/jer.2007.2.2.57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Plemmons, D. K., & Kalichman, M. W. (2013). Reported goals of instructors of responsible conduct of research for teaching of skills. Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics, 8(2), 95–103. doi:10.1525/jer.2013.8.2.95.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Powell, S., Allison, M. A., & Kalichman, M. W. (2007). Effectiveness of a responsible conduct of research course: A preliminary study. Science and Engineering Ethics, 13(2), 249–264.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Resnik, D. B., & Dinse, G. E. (2012). Do U.S. research institutions meet or exceed federal requirements for instruction in responsible conduct of research? A national survey. Academic Medicine: Journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges, 87(9), 1237–1242. doi:10.1097/ACM.0b013e318260fe5c.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schmaling, K. B., & Blume, A. W. (2009). Ethics instruction increases graduate students’ responsible conduct of research knowledge but not moral reasoning. Accountability in Research, 16(5), 268–283. doi:10.1080/08989620903190323.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Soto, V. J. (2013). Which instructional design models are educators using to design virtual world instruction? MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 9(3), 364–375.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steneck, N. H., & Bulger, R. E. (2007). The history, purpose, and future of instruction in the responsible conduct of research. Academic Medicine, 82(9), 829–834.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Swazey, J. P., & Anderson, M. S. (1996). Mentors, advisors, and role models in graduate and professional education. Washington, DC: Association of Academic Health Centers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Watkins, D. A., & Biggs, J. B. (Eds.). (1996). The Chinese learner: Cultural, psychological and contextual influences (p. 287). Camberwell: Australian Council for Educational Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • Watts, L. L., Medeiros, K. E., Mulhearn, T. J., Steele, L. M., Connelly, S., & Mumford, M. D. (2016). Are ethics training programs improving? A meta-analytic review of past and present ethics instruction in the sciences. Ethics and Behavior. doi:10.1080/10508422.2016.1182025.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Wenger, E., McDermott, R., & Snyder, W. (2002). Cultivating communities of practice: A guide to managing knowledge. Brighton: Harvard Business School Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitbeck, C. (2001). Group mentoring to foster the responsible conduct of research. Science and Engineering Ethics, 7, 541–558.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The project reported here was conducted with support from a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded project titled “Integrating Ethics Education: Capacity-Building Workshops for Science and Engineering Faculty” (NSF Grant #1135358). The expert panelists who were part of the consensus conference included: John Ahearne (Sigma Xi), Melissa Anderson (University of Minnesota), Mark Appelbaum (UC San Diego), Yuchen Cao (UC San Diego), Michael Davis (Illinois Institute of Technology), Chris DeBoever (UC San Diego), Mark Frankel (AAAS), C.K. Gunsalus (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), Elizabeth Heitman (Vanderbilt), Joseph Herkert (Arizona State University), Rachelle Hollander (National Academy of Engineering), Crane Huang (UC San Diego), Deborah Johnson (University of Virginia), Nancy Jones (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, DHHS), Michael Kalichman (UC San Diego), Nelson Kiang (Harvard Medical School), Philip Langlais (Old Dominion University), Francis Macrina (Virginia Commonwealth University), Brian Martinson (HealthPartners Research Foundation), Michael Mumford (University of Oklahoma), Ken Pimple (Indiana University), Dena Plemmons (UC San Diego), Patrick Wu (UC San Diego), and Guangming Zheng (UC San Diego).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Ethics Education Program, University of California, Riverside, 900 University Avenue, 133 University Office Building, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA

    Dena K. Plemmons

  2. Research Ethics Program, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., MC 0612, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0612, USA

    Michael W. Kalichman

Authors
  1. Dena K. Plemmons
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Michael W. Kalichman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dena K. Plemmons.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Plemmons, D.K., Kalichman, M.W. Mentoring for Responsible Research: The Creation of a Curriculum for Faculty to Teach RCR in the Research Environment. Sci Eng Ethics 24, 207–226 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-017-9897-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-017-9897-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation