Welcome

Welcome to Epigeum's Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) program's Fundamental Course.

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the core responsibilities researchers have throughout the lifecycle of a research project.

The first two modules provide a basic framework and vocabulary for understanding responsible and irresponsible research practices.
The next four modules take you through the stages of a typical research project, from planning through to publication.
The last module addresses the responsibilities researchers have when they assume broader roles in their institution, their professional organizations, government, and public life.

Organized in these seven modules, this course covers all the topics required by US funding agencies.

For those seeking deeper knowledge or facing specific research scenarios, Epigeum's RCR program offers six Supplemental Modules that provide advanced insights into specialized topics.

If you are a research mentor, your research involves animals or human participants, has national security implications, or raises questions about conflicts of interest and intellectual property you may want to, or be required to, complete one or more of the Supplemental Modules.

The fundamental and supplemental modules are all independent and can be taken in any order. If you are not an experienced researcher, we recommend that you complete the modules in the order given, starting with the first module and working your way through the Fundamental Course first.

To help you prepare for the journey, this opening screen provides information on how the screens are organized and explains some of the tools and features that are used throughout. The overall purpose of these tools and features is to engage you in the learning process.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this module learners will be able to:

Explain the difference between research integrity, research ethics and responsible conduct of research
List three main ways for establishing responsible research practices
Understand the purpose of codes of conduct and recognize their limitations
Differentiate between "commonly accepted practices" and "best practices"
Explain the role of institutional RCR programs, including examples of policies used to ensure responsible conduct of research
Explain the difference between government regulations and policies, including the consequences of non-compliance with government requirements in research.

Using the module

To help you prepare to take the course, here is some information on how the screens are organized, and some of the tools and features that are used throughout:

Content

The center of each screen contains the core content for each course, presented as either text, interactive activities, graphics or videos
Text highlighted in a box preceded by an arrow contains instructions on how to navigate the activities that follow
Terms highlighted like this are glossary items that can be selected to open pop-up boxes containing definitions of key terms.

Accessibility

Text/print versions

We aim to make our courses as accessible as possible. However, in case you find any of our interactive activities difficult to operate via mouse, keyboard or any other means, we provide a 'text only version' for every screen, which will present the content in a simplified, text-based format. This includes transcripts for video and audio files, increased font sizes for greater readability.

Look out for the Text/print version button, located at the top right of any screen in the course, to toggle this feature.

You may also use this feature to activate a print-friendly version of any screen, in case you would like to print and keep the content for your notes.

Activities

Note that your responses to the notemaking and text entry activities (where you type responses in the space provided) can be saved and used as part of your ongoing work.

Pods

Throughout this course, you will find additional information in 'pods'. You can interact with these buttons to enrich your learning experience, as they contain extra content to expand on key points from the main screen, as well as links to useful external resources:

Glossary: Contains the glossary for the entire course.
Additional information: Contains extra content to expand on key points from the main screen.
Useful links: Contains helpful links to external websites and resources that expand on, contextualize or demonstrate the topics discussed in the module.
Your context: Contains links and information specific to your context and/or institution.
Download: Templates or other useful information for you as the learner to download.
Module evaluation: Contains a short survey for you to rate and send us feedback on the module you have completed.

Key points

This icon is designed to draw your awareness to the adjacent content, indicating crucial learning points that are worth remembering.

Key points

Polls

The poll questions in some modules are designed to help you:

Think about your own research context and perspective
Compare your context and perspective with those of others taking this course.

When answering a poll question, you may view the results of how other learners have answered, with responses displayed as percentages. All responses are anonymous.

If you have any concerns about your research context or find that you have an outlying perspective, you should talk with a mentor or trusted colleague to get advice.

Application screen

The application screen allows you to apply the learning from the module to a specific scenario.

Quiz

At the end of each module, you have the opportunity to test your learning with a multiple-choice quiz. This consists of ten questions with up to four possible answers for you to select the correct one.

You can take the test more than once (a new set of questions will appear).

Technical support

If you require technical support with using the course, please refer to the Technical support button, located at the top right of any screen in the course.

Expert panel

Professor Nick H Steneck, PhD :"
Lead advisor and author

Nick's work promoting integrity in research began 40 years ago in 1983 when he was asked to head the University of Michigan Task Force on Integrity in Research. That work led to participation as a founding member of the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics (1989–1991) and service as the Chair of the PHS Advisory Committee of Scientific Integrity (1991–1993). Later, as a consultant to the US Office of Research Integrity (2000–2010), Nick helped establish ORI's Research on Research Integrity Program, co-founded the World Conferences on Research Integrity (Lisbon 2007 ff.) and spearheaded the drafting and adoption of the Singapore Statement on Research Integrity (2010). While at ORI, he wrote the ORI Introduction to the Responsible Conduct of Research (2004, 2007; translated into Japanese, Chinese, and Korean).

From 2010 to the present, Nick has served as lead advisor for Epigeum's research integrity training.

Since retiring from his academic position in 2006, he has returned to historical research and fostering the preservation of historical evidence and buildings.

Sergio Litewka :"
Reviewer

Dr Litewka completed his medical and public health degrees in Argentina before becoming a faculty member at the University of Miami. He serves as the Director of Global Bioethics at the Miller School University of Miami Institute of Bioethics, a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre on Ethics and Health Policies. In his role, he collaborates with various organizations on human subject protection and research ethics.

His extensive experience includes being the International Director for the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI Program) and leading multiple research projects funded by the US Office of Research Integrity. Currently, he's involved in NIH-funded projects in Latin America and Africa, and he served on the International Research Panel for the US Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues in 2011.

Jiin-Yu Chen :"
Reviewer

Jiin-Yu Chen serves as Lead for Research Compliance in the Office of Research at Baylor College of Medicine. Prior to joining BCM, she was Director of Research Integrity at Boston College. She was also the Research Program Coordinator for the Program on Ethics in Clinical Practice at the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics. She has experience in numerous areas related to research integrity and the ethical conduct of research, including Responsible Conduct of Research education programs, research misconduct, and conflict of interest.

Her areas of interest include reflecting on the ethical practice of research through a virtue ethics framework and examining ways in which institutional and systemic structures can support or hinder the practice of research and integrity. Jiin-Yu received her undergraduate degree from Rice University in English and her PhD in Medical Humanities from the University of Texas Medical Branch.

Dena Plemmons :"
Reviewer

Dena Plemmons is founding Director of the Research Ethics Education Program at the University of California, Riverside. Her work focusses on various aspects of research ethics, including ethics communication and education, disciplinary scientific standards, ethics controversies, research-practice partnerships, and human subjects research. She has received consistent funding from organizations like NIH, NSF, and ORI as a Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-PI. Her research involves curriculum development in research ethics and leadership, as well as investigations into common and best practices in scientific practice both nationally and internationally.

Dena is recognized as an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). She serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the peer-reviewed journal, Science and Engineering Ethics, published by Springer-Nature. Additionally, she holds the position of Chair of the Board of the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics. She is also an expert consultant with the National Center for Principled Leadership and Research Ethics at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Trisha Phillips :"
Reviewer

Dr Phillips is an Associate Professor at West Virginia University, where she studies normative theory, research integrity, and public policy. Her work examines norms for best practices in research, the behaviors that constitute research misconduct, and the effect of policy driven approaches to promoting the responsible conduct of research.

Dr Phillips is Principal Investigator on several NSF grants and author of numerous peer reviewed articles in journals such as Bioethics, IRB: Ethics & Research, Science and Engineering Ethics, and Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics. She currently serves as the Director for Research Integrity for the Office of Research, and is responsible for climate assessment, RCR programming, and research integrity consultations.

Julie Simpson :"
Reviewer

Julie Simpson, Ph.D., serves as the Director of Research Integrity Services (RIS) at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and is an Affiliate Assistant Professor of College Teaching and Education. Her responsibilities encompass overseeing UNH's research integrity programs, including human subjects protections, animal welfare, responsible conduct of research (RCR), financial conflict of interest, and HIPAA compliance. Julie is actively involved in various committees at UNH, including the Institutional Review Board (IRB), Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee (IACUC), RCR Committee, and Radiation Safety Committee, and she holds the role of UNH's Research Integrity Officer (RIO).

Additionally, she co-develops and co-teaches UNH's GRAD 930: Ethics in Research and Scholarship seminar, has contributed to the development of web-based RCR training materials, and serves on research integrity committees at other New England institutions. Julie is also a published author in the field of research integrity and holds positions in national organizations such as the Online Ethics Center's Scholars, Educators, and Administrators Fostering Research Integrity (SEAFRI) Community of Practice (CoP), the Association of Research Integrity Officers, Public Responsibility in Medicine & Research (PRIM&R), and the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics (APPE). She is recognized for her contributions and has presented on research integrity issues at the national level.

Wilma Alexander :"
Accessibility advisor

Wilma Alexander is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy with Master's degrees in Human-Computer Interaction, Linguistics and Information Science. She has over 15 years of experience as a manager with the online learning team at the University of Edinburgh, where she specialised in usable and accessible digital practice, tutored on the groundbreaking Master's degree in Digital Education and developed online staff training on accessible e-learning and online tutoring skills. Since retiring from the University at the end of 2015, Wilma has provided consultancy services on all aspects of online learning, with a special focus on accessibility and usability issues.

A note of thanks

We would like to recognize Dr. Nicholas J. Steneck for his invaluable contribution to the development of the end-of-module quizzes. Nicholas is a Professor of History at Wesleyan College, where he currently serves as Assistant Dean of Strategic Projects and Chair of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Division. After earning his Ph.D. in History from Ohio State University, he has built a distinguished teaching career spanning large state institutions and small, private liberal arts colleges, earning multiple teaching awards for his dedication to educational excellence. Throughout his academic career, Dr. Steneck has played a pivotal role in curriculum development. He has directed centers and programs facilitating international education while maintaining an active research agenda focused on German history and civil defense during the Cold War era.

Development group

Responsible Conduct of Research was developed in conjunction with:

Vanderbilt University
Rice University
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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