Scientific Integrity

Please note: If you are doing your PhD outside of Groningen (e.g. abroad), it is possible to attend an online version of this course.

Course description:

This course is designed to strengthen your own research with the highest quality standards for responsible-conduct-of-research (RCR). The course has two parts, which are both needed to successfully complete the course:

1. You will first navigate through a self-paced online self-study module containing realistic PhD scenarios coupled with short reflective assignments. The themes covered in the module are: (i) academic quality, (ii) authorship, (iii) social safety, (iv) property and data sharing.  
2. To reinforce your learning, you will participate in an interactive onsite tutorial. In small groups, you will critically discuss real-world case studies with your peers. Moreover, you will apply theoretical concepts and principles from professional codes-of-conduct and from the online learning module. The instructor introduces more background knowledge and offers you useful hands-on tips and tools relevant to (early-career) scientists.

Preparation:

1. Please complete the online self-study module 1 week before the onsite tutorial the latest (see instructions below).
2. Read the New York Times article (sent by the course instructor).
3. Bring headphones and a laptop to the tutorial.

Online self-study

• You can find the online self-study module here: Responsible Conduct of Research (Utrecht University).
• Please make sure you complete the paid course (not the free course), so you will receive a certificate in the end!
  • Select the button "Enrol for free". Sign up for Coursera with your email address and a password.
  • Select: ‘Purchase Course €45’ and pay by credit card. You can claim these expenses on your ITB. More information on how to claim expenses can be found on the GSSE website.
  • Note that for some users, Coursera offers a monthly subscription with a free trial period. To see the 1-time purchase option instead, you can try to log in with another email address, or to use the Coursera mobile app.
  • If you run into issues with payments, please directly contact the Coursera customer service.
• Upon completion, you will receive a certificate. You should upload this certificate in Hora Finita yourself:
  • Register this course as a new Training Activity; name your activity ‘Scientific Integrity’; upload your certificate and save the training activity.
  • Do not add any ECTs, we will do this for you upon completion of the whole course.
  • The certificate has to be uploaded one week before the tutorial starts, otherwise you will be automatically unregistered from the course.
  • Please note that the final peer-review assignment of the Coursera course may take a few days to complete, as someone else will need to anonymously review your assignment. So, don't leave the completiton to the very last minute.

Format of the tutorial

The onsite tutorial lasts for 3h, from 9:00 to 12:00.

Workload

• Online self-study: 8-10h
• Onsite tutorial and preparation: 3-4 hours

Learning goals:

• You will be able to recognize issues, such as questionable practices and/or misconduct in well-known affairs from research practice.
• You will gain the skills to suggest and explain a substantiated and weighed ethical course of action with reference to existing safeguards.

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