PhD in Neuroscience

Ethics of research and Responsible research: an introduction

Complementary training (all 1st year students)

Academic year 2022/2023

Sommario del corso

• Course objectives
• Results of learning outcomes
• Course delivery
• Program
• Suggested textbooks and readings
• Notes
• Teaching tools

Course objectives

Our teaching goals for ethics of research fit into the following four general categories:

1. knowledge, skills, attitude and behaviors.

2. Knowledge about the responsible conduct of research will include the facts, guidelines, policies, data and other sources of information.

3. Skills to promote ethical practice in science include specific proficiencies.

4. Attitudes and behaviors, defined by an acceptance of the value of acting in ways which foster responsible conduct.

Results of learning outcomes

Among the core competencies that we want our students to acquire there are:

1. Knowledge of the history and development of ethical norms and charts in biomedicine and other fields.
2. Knowledge of, and sensitivity to, issues surrounding the responsible conduct of research and research misconduct.
3. Awareness of the grey areas and ambiguities of ethical issues, including differences between compliant and ethical behaviour in the conduct of research, or the range of acceptable and unacceptable practices.
4. Awareness that rules change over time and vary across disciplines or nations.
5. Information about the regulations, policies, statutes, and guidelines that govern the conduct of research.
6. Ethical decision-making, including recognizing problems, identifying and examining assumptions underlying practices, using analytical skills and strategies in addressing issues and problems, and exploring implications of different courses of action.
7. Impact assessment of research and innovation.
8. Collection, use, and interpretation of research data.
9. Methods for reporting and reviewing research plans or findings.
10. Relationships among researchers with one another.
11. Relationships between researchers and those that will be affected by their research.
12. Means for responding to misunderstandings, disputes, or misconduct.
13. Options for promoting ethical conduct in research.
14. Attitude toward the funders, the citizens and the policy makers.

Course delivery

Lecture + discussion

In presence

March 13th afternoon (14:00- 18:00) Aula 34 Istututo Rosmini, Via Antonio Rosmini 4/A, Torino

and March 14th morning (9:00-12:00) Aula 18 Istituto Rosmini, Via Antonio Rosmini 4/A, Torino

Program

• At the roots of ethics and human subject research
• Informed consent
• Drug trials and recruitment
• Animal research
• Embryo and stem cell research
• Basic knowledge of legal aspects of ethics and science
• APA guidelines, psychological and social research
• Who evaluates the ethics? Research ethics committees, national and international institutions etc.
• Data management and privacy
• Ethics of new technologies, ethics of engineering
• Social impact of scientific research: how to evaluate it
• Foresight and future studies
• Intellectual property and authorship
• “Publish or perish” and quality of research
• Professional ethics, misconducts, fraud and retractions
• Conflicts of interest
• Responsible research and innovation and EU ethics rules
• How to write an ethics work package for a research project
• Public involvement, techniques for public debate (participatory processes) and decision making in controversial issues.

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Note

Daniela Ovadia

ethicist, trainer in Ethics of Research and Ethics Impact Assessment at the DG Research, European Commission, “cultrice della materia” MPSI02, daniela.ovadia@unipv.it

• Teaching materials
• Exams and finals
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