SDEST: Teaching Research Ethics - An Institutional Change Model

Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo MI

Investigators

Abstract

This project is designed to implement a process that will alter the institutional climate at Western Michigan University with respect to research ethics. Its objective is to communicate, rapidly and effectively, information about research-related ethical issues and decision-making across the several colleges that make up the university. The long term goal is to increase the level of ethical research behavior and decision-making within the university. The short term goals are: first, to create a group of change agents within the institution (the Research Ethics Fellows) who, along with the project team, will be able to help train others, serve as resource people for their peers, and model ethical behavior in research; second, to put in place a comprehensive and systematic approach to teaching research ethics that not only cuts across disciplines (colleges/departments) but also across levels (faculty/graduate student); and third, to implement a structural approach to research ethics training that becomes part of the institutional fabric itself. The project team is proposing a curriculum in the area of research ethics which includes a series of instructional modules. Following a baseline survey of faculty and graduate students, the modules will be presented in a workshop (with a keynote speaker), to a set of ten faculty/graduate student teams (20 Research Ethics Fellows) representing departments across the institution. The modules will subsequently be offered to the faculty, graduate students, and staff of the university community. During this same time, the Fellows will continue to meet with one another in study groups, carry out projects, and also engage in dissemination efforts within their departments and colleges. Finally, the project will sponsor a university-wide conference, again with a keynote speaker, at which the research team and the Fellows will present the results of their various projects, and share their dissemination efforts. A follow-up survey of faculty and graduate students will also be carried out. Along with the baseline and follow-up surveys (covering knowledge, attitude, and behaviors of faculty and graduate students at WMU), evaluation will include the learning improvement and the satisfaction of all people who participate in the instructional modules. The second year will follow the same structure, with another set of ten faculty/graduate student teams from across the institution. In addition, the previous Fellows will assist the project team in presenting the instructional modules during the year and continue to participate in the study groups. Evaluation efforts will also continue. Furthermore, representatives from other post-secondary institutions in the region will be invited to attend the spring conference as part of an effort to extend the impact of the project to other institutions. The institution has committed resources to continue the program after the initial award period.