Introduction to Scientific Integrity (in-person training)

Academia can be an ethically challenging environment given the pervasive financial and career-related pressures that do not always align with scientific ideals. This phenomenon manifests itself most visibly in outright misconduct, such as data falsification. It also can subtly affect scientist behaviours as to undermine trust between scientists and public trust in science itself. As a result, it is more important than ever that scientists strive to maintain integrity throughout their research activities.

The difficult question is how to do this in a way that is mindful of the realities of academia. This one-day training course is designed to help tackle that question. Participants are introduced to the content and conceptual background of the Netherlands Code of Conduct, and through deliberation on case studies they learn how to use this code as an ethical resource in navigating ethically challenging situations they may encounter in their research work.

Learning outcomes:

After successful completion of this course PhD’s are expected to be able to:

• Participants gain familiarity with the elements of the Netherlands Code of Conduct for Research Integrity
• Participants understand what the social function is of a code of conduct, and why the code contains certain provisions rather than others.
• Participants know how to use the code as a guideline for ethically responding to difficult dilemma’s arising from authorship, supervision, publication pressure, data sharing, and so on.

General Information:

Target Group:	PhD's
Group size:	Max. 15 participants
Course duration:	1 day course; involves homework
Language:	English
Credit points:	0.6 ECTS
Self-study hours:	4
Name lecturer:	Hugh Desmond, PHI
Venue:	Wageningen

 

Programme:

Introduction to Scientific Integrity

Homework:

• Describe one case of an ethical dilemma or conflict situation that arose during the course of either your work or that of a colleague (e.g., about data management, data sharing, methodological reliability, authorship disputes, supervision, conflicts of interest, etc.)
• Read Netherlands Code of Conduct for Research Integrity, and formulate one appreciative point (e.g., useful or clarifying for certain types of situation) and one critical point (e.g., lack of clarity, lack of usefulness, inconsistency, etc.).

Send the assignments to Marcella.Haan@wur.nl two weeks before the start of the course.

Structure:

1. Morning: lecture & discussions

We analyze the Netherlands Code of Conduct together, and address the question why it was written the way it was written. For this we go through elements of  the history, philosophy, and sociology of science. We end the morning with a systematic overview of how to use the code as an ethical guide for complex and potentially conflictual situations where no ideal outcome seems to be available.

2. Afternoon: training activity

In the afternoon, through both an interactive video assignment as well as discussion in small groups of various individual cases, we apply the morning’s material to hands-on ethical deliberation. We end with a plenary discussion

Fee

Fee includes coffee/tea and lunch.

Cancellation condition

Until four weeks before the start of the course, you can cancel free of charge. After this date you will be charged with the “University Fee”. Unless:

• You can find someone to replace you in the course and supply the course coordinator with the name and contact information of your replacement. In this case you will only be charged with €50.
• You (PhD’s and post-docs of Wageningen University) have a valid reason to cancel (circumstances beyond your control), you will be charged the reduced fee and your supervisor/PI must send a mail indicating the reason for cancellation.

 

Information

For more information please contact Marcella.Haan@wur.nl