Research ethics principles are
crucial for maintaining research findings' credibility, ensuring
participants' safety, and upholding ethical standards in the academic
community. Ensuring transparency and integrity in scientific work is a
hot topic for the credibility of scientific results in public, the
publication in renowned journals, and the funding of scientific
projects. Additionally, the advancing inter- and transdisciplinarity of
research projects has dramatically stimulated the discussion about
general research standards and the credibility of results. Thus, as a
doctoral candidate, it is essential to understand the importance of
responsible conduct of research. You will be able to understand the
fundamental principles and methods of responsible research conduct and
how to apply them in your research.
This course will teach you about the various ethical considerations
involved in the research process and academia. You will also gain
knowledge about the responsible conduct of research on, for example,
data management, publication practices, peer review, or in supervision.
The course will equip you with the competences needed to conduct
research responsibly and ethically, enhancing the credibility and impact
of your work. Attending this seminar is not only a requirement for
doctoral students at Leuphana, according to the exam regulations, but is
also an opportunity to develop a strong foundation that will benefit
you throughout your academic and professional career.
The course is part of the module Engaging with research ethics. The
module consists of two parts: 1) the Leuphana Graduate Opening Days and
2) this course on research integrity. All in all, the module covers 150
hours of workload (5 CP). This course covers the majority of 140 hours
of workload.
In the first phase of the course, we start with a joint in-person
introduction of 90 minutes during the Leuphana Graduate School Opening
days. In the introduction, you will be able to express your expectations
regarding the course content and meet some of your fellow doctoral
candidates. It will also provide the necessary information to succeed in
the course.
In the second phase of the course, you will work self-organized on ten
self-learning sessions, each dedicated to important aspects of
responsible research conduct:
1. Introduction to research integrity
2. Research integrity during the research process
3. Scientific misconduct
4. Data and reference management
5. Publishing process and authorship
6. Collaborative research and conflicts of interest
7. Research with humans and AI
8. Mentoring and supervision
9. Conflict resolutions
10. Diversity and inclusion in academic research
Each session consists of self-learning videos, readings, and
assignments. Additional time should be planned as preparation and
follow-up time, where you prepare readings and meet in small groups of
peers to discuss the self-learning sessions.
All materials, including the pre-recorded lectures, will be available to
all participating doctoral candidates on the Moodle platform.
The seminar concerns raising
your awareness and preparing for ethically correct and responsible
research activities before starting research projects. The goal is to
integrate ethical considerations already in the planning phase of the
doctoral journey.
The following key questions will guide the course:
- What is research ethics? What is good scientific practice?
- What does responsible research mean for my research field?
- What are the concrete implications of research integrity guidelines for my dissertation project?
- How can I contribute to a research community with integrity as a researcher?
- lecturer: Savelii Bartashevich
- lecturer: Anna Sundermann