BIO 591, Introduction to Research Ethics
Spring 2010
Class meets for 11 weeks on Thursdays.
1/28/2010 - 4/15/2010
Time: Noon – 1:15 PM
Location: Physical Sciences A-wing, Room 102
One credit
Dr. Karin Ellison
karin.ellison@asu.edu
LSC 270, 727-7111
Office hours: by appointment
Course Description
Have you wondered whether scientists who conduct research with animals should discuss
their work with animal rights activists? Or, what sustainability means for your research?
This course introduces students to the ethical and regulatory issues in the conduct of
research. It covers the nine core areas of responsible conduct of research (RCR), as
identified by the National Institutes of Health. The areas are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Animal welfare
Collaborative science
Conflict of interest and commitment
Data acquisition, management, sharing, and ownership
Human subjects
Mentor/trainee responsibilities
Peer review
Publication practices and responsible authorship
Research misconduct
In addition, students will explore the two topics that highlight the moral dilemmas and
issues that collectively confront the scientific enterprise—sustainability and military
funding of university research. Discussion of real and hypothetical cases will tie broad
ethical considerations to current concern of scientists.
Student Learning Objectives
Students will develop their capacities in:



Identifying ethical dilemmas in research
Identifying norms, policies, and regulations that speak to those ethical dilemmas
Using problem solving skills to generate and select options for action in the face
of such dilemmas
Assignments
This is a hybrid online and classroom course. The assignments for this course are online
readings and quizzes, nine one-page case analyses, attending class, and actively
participating in class discussions.
1. Readings
Reading materials, available through BlackBoard, must be completed before each class
session so that discussion can draw on your knowledge of the readings. The majority of
the materials come from the CITI (Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative)
2
Program. With the new NSF training requirements in RCR, the CITI Program is quickly
becoming the most widely used source for introductory RCR information. Each CITI
module has a quiz at the end. When you complete all the modules and pass all the
quizzes, you be able to print a completion certificate. Your completion certificate will be
due the last class session.
2. Case analyses
In addition to introducing common ethical concerns and norms in the life sciences, this
course aims to help students to develop their ability to reason through difficult situations
with ethical dimensions. Towards this end, we will discuss numerous cases using a
general approach commonly used in applied ethics. The approach consists of assessing a
troublesome situation in which a researcher finds herself or himself and formulating a
response, often a course of action. The response should take into account the following:
1. The interested parties and their reasonable expectations or rights
2. The researcher’s obligations and the norms and values that create them
3. Any formal rules, such as laws, regulations, or University policies, that might
apply in the situation
4. The researcher’s long-term and short-term goals and how they related to desired
outcomes for the specific situation
5. Whether the researcher needs additional information to formulate a response and,
if so, how he or she can obtain it
6. The potential significant consequences of the proposed response
7. Whether the situation poses one or more ethical dilemmas and, if so, whether the
researchers proposed response addresses them
For fuller descriptions of case analysis, see the articles by Muriel Bebeau and Elizabeth
Heitman posted on BlackBoard.
Students will submit nine one-page case discussions. For each session in which a short
essay is due, students will be given a case to consider and a writing prompt. The course
schedule gives the case; writing prompt will be posted to BlackBoard a week before the
assignment is due, or earlier. Students should submit their one-page essays via
BlackBoard before the class session in which the assignment is due.
Evaluation and the Fine Print
I will generally calculate grades for this course as follows:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Attendance and thoughtful contributions to class discussion: 165 pts (15 pts/session)
CITI RCR Curriculum Completion Report: 120 pts (15 pts/module)
Dual Use Dilemma module completion certificate: 15 pts
Protecting Human Research Participants completion certificate: 15 pts
Case analyses: 135 pts (15 pts/assignment)
I calculate course grades using a 15-point scale. I will convert your point total to the
scale below. I reserve the right to assign any student a final grade that is higher than
3
merited by strict calculation based on academic criteria, such as improvement in grades
over the semester or atypical and explainable poor performance on a single assignment.
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
D
E
15
14
12
11
10
8
7
3
0
I only accept late assignments in rare circumstances. These include professional
conflicts, major and documented illnesses, personal or family crises, etc. Should any of
these arise, you are responsible for discussing the circumstances with me ASAP, before
you miss a deadline if at all possible.
Disabilities
If you have a significant disability condition (e.g., physical, learning, psychiatric, vision,
hearing, etc.) and want to arrange reasonable accommodations, you must contact me at
the beginning of the course.
Academic Integrity
Under the ASU Student Academic Integrity Policy
(http://provost.asu.edu/academicintegrity), “[e]ach student must act with honesty and
integrity, and must respect the rights of others in carrying out all academic assignments.”
This policy also defines academic dishonesty and sets a process for faculty members and
colleges to penalize dishonesty. Violations of this policy fall into five broad areas that
include but are not limited to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Cheating on an academic evaluation or assignment
Plagiarizing
Academic deceit, such as fabricating data or information
Aiding Academic Integrity Policy violations and inappropriately collaborating
Falsifying academic records
I welcome any questions you may have concerning academic integrity and will do my
best to help you understand the standards of academic scholarship. I also penalize any
incidents of academic dishonesty in my courses using University and CLAS guidelines.
4
Date
Topic(s)
Plagiarism
1/28/10 Evaluation pre-test
2/4/10
Approaches to the Ethics of
Scientific Research
Reading Assignment

None
None



Resnik, "Standards of Ethical Conduct."
Greenwood, "Attributes of a Profession."
Raven, "Science, Sustainability, and the Human
Prospect."
Salamanca-Buentello, "Nanotechnology and the
Developing World."
Farrell, "Sustainability and the Design of Knowledge
Tools."
Moral Reasoning in Scientific Research: The Charlie West
Case.


2/11/10 Sustainability
Misconduct
2/18/10 Responding to Problems


CITI Module: Biomedical Research Misconduct,
Gunsalus, "How to Blow the Whistle."
2/25/08 Data Management



CITI Module: Data Acquisition and Management.
CITI Module: Responsible Mentoring.
CITI Module: Responsible Conduct of Collaborative
Science Module.
CITI Module: Responsible Authorship and
Publication.
CITI Module: Responsible Peer Review.
3/4/10
Mentors and Trainees
Collaboration in Research

Authorship
3/11/10 Peer Review

3/18/10 No Class, Spring Break


3/25/10 Science and the Military


Conflicts of Interest
Animal Subjects
4/8/10 Evaluation post test Pt. I
Human Subjects
4/15/10 Evaluation post-test, Pt. II
Writing Assignment
4/1/10


Chang, "In Study, Researchers Find Nanotubes May Pose
Health Risks Similar to Asbestos"
CITI: Case Study - Truth or Consequences - Biomedical.
CITI: “Who Owns Research Data?” (The link is the data
module in the section “Ownership Issues.”)
CITI: "Too Much Help Is Just Too Much?” (The link is the
mentoring module in the section “The Role of the Mentor.")
CITI: Introductory Video Case: "It Is Great to See Your
Name In Print.” (The link is in the authorship module.)
None
Online Training in Ethical and Legal Issues in
Biological Research, The Dual-Use Dilemma in
Biological Research.
Goolsby, "Ethics and Defense Agency Funding."
None
CITI Module: Biomedical Science Conflicts of Interest
and Commitment Module.
CITI Module: Conducting Research With Laboratory
Animals.
CITI: CoI -The Case of the Entrepreneurial Clinician biomedical.
The Gladiator Sparrow, www.onlineethics.org/CMS/2963/
rescases/gradres/gradresv4/gladiator.aspx
NIH, "Protection Human Research Participants."
None
Pollack, "Scientists Create a Live Polio Virus."