What is this about? (Is About)
From The Embassy of Good Science
A short summary providing some details about the theme/resource (max. 75 words)
- ⧼SA Foundation Data Type⧽: Text
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The Use of Students as Participants in a Study of Eating Disorders in a Developing Country: Case Study in the Ethics of Mental Health Research +
This is a factual case. +
This is a factual case about a whistle-blower’s story on ghost-writing of a misleading article. The ghost-written article is commissioned by a pharmaceutical company and presents its negative results as if they are positive outcomes. The case details how the whistle-blower is actively opposed and frustrated to prevent him coming forward with the story, while there are no repercussions for those who are accused of scientific misconduct. This case clearly describes the extensive system of pharmaceutical companies through which they may generate studies with favorable outcomes. +
A principle investigator discovers that her coinvestigator has violated the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee protocol. +
The case studies in the Research Integrity Club present short integrity dilemmas.
In each case, an animation illustrates the dilemma, followed by a poll and a guided discussion. +
In 1983, Trounson and Mohr'"`UNIQ--ref-00000000-QINU`"' announced the first human pregnancy following cryopreservation, thawing, and transfer of an eight-cell embryo. Since then, embryo cryopreservation became a crucial tool that complements a standard in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure by maximizing its effectiveness and reducing the risk of multiple pregnancies by limiting the number of embryos transferred. However, as a consequence, a growing supply of embryos in cryostorage has been reported worldwide'"`UNIQ--ref-00000001-QINU`"''"`UNIQ--ref-00000002-QINU`"'. +
Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be seen as a powerful tool to tackle sustainability challenges — but it also comes with hidden socio-environmental costs. +
Genome editing (also called gene editing) is a group of technologies that give scientists the ability to change an organism's DNA. These technologies allow genetic material to be added, removed, or altered at particular locations in the genome. Several approaches to genome editing have been developed. A well-known one is called CRISPR-Cas9, which is short for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and CRISPR-associated protein 9.
However, this groundbreaking technology also raises profound ethical concerns that challenge society's moral boundaries. +
Among the various forms of academic misconduct, text recycling or ‘self-plagiarism’ holds a particularly contentious position as a new way to game the reward system of science. A recent case of alleged ‘self-plagiarism’ by the prominent Dutch economist Peter Nijkamp has attracted much public and regulatory attention in the Netherlands. During the Nijkamp controversy, it became evident that many questions around text recycling have only partly been answered and that much uncertainty still exists. +
In January 2003, the world learned that Denmark’s national research council convenes a body whose name is rendered ominously in English as ‘Committee of Scientific Dishonesty’ (CSD). The CSD normally deals with forms of misconduct—negligence, fraud, and plagiarism—that beset the more competitive reaches of the biomedical sciences. However, the CSD had now set its sight on Bjørn Lomborg, whose transatlantic bestseller, ''The'' ''Sceptical'' ''Environmentalist'', purported to show that ecologists routinely overstate the world’s environmental problems to fit their political agenda [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016328703002027#BIB4 '"`UNIQ--nowiki-00000000-QINU`"']. If the CSD thought it would settle the matter once and for all, it was mistaken. Shortly after the committee’s judgement, the Danish government commissioned an inquiry into the CSD’s own future. +
The importance of formative assessment in science and engineering ethics education: some evidence and practical advice +
This article informs about the importance of aligning classroom-based assessments to ethical learning objectives. It is intended to help instructors and students track their progress in meeting these objectives. The article presents findings of two studies that show usefulness of classroom-based, formative assessments for improving the quality of students' case responses in computational modeling and research ethics. +
This is an interactive movie on research misconduct where researchers and students can become the lead characters and make decisions about research integrity. The simulation addresses various topics regarding responsible conduct of research. +
This blog post describes the aftermath of a journal publication about the benefits of colonialism that drew critical reactions. +
"All candidate professors have to submit a portfolio encompassing five domains. We ask for a narrative about current scientific activities and a description of the most important ten publications (not an extensive list). The applicants provide proof of teaching skills and describe educational products, for example study guides or study books. If relevant, applicants describe their clinical tasks, including efforts resulting in improved clinical care. The portfolio also covers leadership and management responsibilities and asks for valorisation activities." +
A rector allegedly copied whole extracts of a PhD student's thesis. When the case was discovered, an investigation led to severe consequences for him, including his resignation. +
This interacting video aims to educate clinical and social researchers on the importance of protecting research participants and avoiding misconduct. Researchers and students can assume the role of one of four characters and determine the outcome of the story by selecting choices for each of the characters. +
This is a factual case that examines the role of moral values in the distinction between science and non-science. The article details a recent (at the time of writing) case of scientific misconduct to show the differences in moral philosophy as applied to science and as applied to non-scientific practices. The publication further elaborates upon these differences and whether they might be used to distinguish between science and non-science.
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The Structure of Observed Learning Outcomes (SOLO taxonomy), based on Biggs & Collins (1982), can be used to evaluate understanding in the context of REI teaching and learning (Löfström, 2012;Tammeleht et al., 2019). It is a structure for devising learning outcomes in higher education and for assessing how those learning outcomes are reached (Biggs & Tang, 2007).
The taxonomy is applicable across fields. The higher the level of understanding according to the taxonomy, the more complex the understanding is in terms of ‘quantity’, and as one moves up the taxonomic levels, the more qualitatively intricate understanding becomes.
The SOLO taxonomy, thus, captures the learning outcome (i.e., level of understanding) as displayed by the learner (Biggs & Tang, 2007). Assignments and tasks must be designed so that they help learners display their understanding in relation to the intended learning outcomes. It is the responsibility of the facilitator to match the assignments with the intended learning outcomes.
Figure 1 shows how the SOLO taxonomy can be used to assess the level of understanding of REI in connection to a variety of assignments from case elaborations to written texts.
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Figure 2. The SOLO taxonomy explanation.
The explanation table can be used as a scale for any data collected to evaluate the level of learner’s understanding. But the SOLO taxonomy has also been modified into different instruments. +
The study compared three cases of research misconduct, focusing on the relationship between the graduate student and his or her adviser in such cases. Apart from reflecting on the rights and responsibilities of advisers and students, the study offers recommendations for explaining thoroughly those responsibilities. +
This article explains the value of respect when considering the ethics of human research. It also provides practical advice for researchers and Human Research Ethics Committee members in development of respectful research practices. +
Think. Check. Submit is an initiative that helps researchers identify trusted journals and publishers for their research. Through a range of tools and practical resources, this international, cross-sector initiative aims to educate researchers, promote integrity, and build trust in credible research and publications. +
