Courses and lectures on research ethics

Courses for PhD Students

Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology

• Compulsury course in research ethics
• Using maths and computer science to do social good

Disciplinary Domain of Medicine and Pharmacy

• Research Ethics and Philosophy of Science (3 hp)
• Part of PhD course: Introduction to Scientific Research

Disciplinary Domain of Humanities and Social Sciences

• PhD course: Research Ethics in the Social Sciences (pdf) Pdf, 110 kB.
• Part of PhD course: Professional Training in the Arts and Humanities (7,5 hp)

Freestanding courses

• Good and Bad Science, 10 credits

Education for students divided by department

• Research Ethics (5 credits), Department of Peace and Conflict Research
  

Courses for supervisors and teachers

For supervisors and teachers at the university, the university pedagogical unit offers courses that have elements of research ethics specialization.

• Within the Basic Pedagogical Basic Course, there is an element on academic honesty, cheating and plagiarism. This section deals with definitions of cheating and plagiarism and ideas on how teachers can support students in developing skills that counteract the risk of being accused of plagiarism.
  
• Cheating and plagiarism is an important part of the course Examination, assessment and feedback where great emphasis is placed on creating awareness of how cheating and plagiarism can be prevented and counteracted in education.
  
• In the course Supervision of doctoral students, there is a session on good research practice and ethics. The lecture contains discussions about research fraud and plagiarism. There is also a session with analyzes of the course participants' own practice cases where various research ethics issues are addressed.

All university pedagogical unit's courses with specialization in research ethics for supervisors and teachers.

Supervision of doctoral students in technology and science

The course is recommended for all assistant supervisors in technology and science who do not have previous supervisor training. Supervisors from another faculty who supervise a TekNat-doctoral student can be accepted subject to availability. The course corresponds to 2 full days and is given once per semester by the department for quality development. There are 26 places for each course opportunity.

Course for assistant supervisors in technology and science: Supervisor Training in Faculty of Science and Technology.

Training modules in research ethics
– offered at Uppsala University

Within the framework of the Project Development of educations in research ethics, which was conducted on behalf of the Vice Chancellor in 2020, course modules were developed aimed at doctoral students, students, supervisors, managers and administrative staff at the university. The project has used an innovative pedagogical model that combines web-based teaching with interactive elements where learning activities and seminars can be combined. The model is based on general modules and subject-specific course elements.

Within the framework of the project, a number of modules have been developed and these are updated and further developed on an ongoing basis. The modules can be used in courses at basic and advanced level as well as for supervisor training, but also for various needs-driven and tailored courses, or as an element at a department day or research group meetings for example.

An example of research ethics training is: Uppsala University’s mandatory research ethics training for new teachers and researchers in the disciplinary domain of medicine and pharmacy.

The modules are thematically divided and can be combined based on needs and focus. The following is a list of those who make up the body.

Modules for basic courses

• Introduction to research ethics: what is research ethics, good research practice.
  
• Research ethics in the planning of research projects: ethical considerations, methods, ethical review and other approvals, conflicts of interest and sponsorship, data management plans.
  
• Research ethics in the execution of research projects: researching humans, informed consent, researching patients, internet research, the collection, handling and storage of research data, fabrication and falsification, collaboration in science.
  
• Research ethics in the publishing and presentation of research: publication ethics, predatory journals, co-authorship, avoiding plagiarism and self-plagiarism, introduction to peer review.
  
• To be a researcher at a Swedish authority: the teacher’s exemption, the principle of public access, secrecy, archive law, freedom of the press & freedom of information.
  
• Relationship with the surrounding society: collaboration, researchers in the media, the expert role, research that provokes threats, responsibility towards financiers.
  
• Reporting misconduct and other deviations: what is meant by misconduct and other deviations from good research practice, guidelines, whistleblowing, preventive work.

Modules for advanced courses

• Specialization in research ethics: introduction, central research ethics principles, theories and arguments, area-specific specialization, research ethics from a historical perspective.
  
• Research dilemmas, in-depth study of various central themes (conflict of interest and sponsorship, informed consent, ethical review and other permits, data management, collaboration).
  
• Ethical publishing (predatory journals - database search, co-authorship, publication ethics and salami publishing - in-depth study, self-plagiarism, peer review).
  

Special modules for supervisors

• Research ethics for supervisors.
  
• The supervisor's role and relationship to the doctoral student.