OVPR

Compliance

Research Ethics Resource Center

Resources: Ethics Library | Bibliography | Videos | Related Sites | Funding

We want your feedback!

All faculty and graduate students are invited to complete a short on-line survey to let us know how we are doing and what we can improve.
Faculty Survey | Graduate Student Survey

Events

The RERC schedules brown bag lunches and other forums for exploring how the principles of responsible conduct in research can be put into practice.

If presentation slides or handouts are available, they will be posted to this website.

Send an email to be notified of upcoming events.

Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)
The nine core areas that cover the spectrum of research from start to finish are:

Data Acquisition, Management, Sharing and Ownership
Accepted practices for acquiring and maintaining research data. Proper methods for record keeping and electronic data collection and storage in scientific research. Includes defining what constitutes data; keeping data notebooks or electronic files; data privacy and confidentiality; data selection, retention, sharing, ownership, and analysis; data as legal documents and intellectual property, including copyright laws.
Mentor-Trainee Relationship Responsibilities
The responsibilities of mentors and trainees in predoctoral and postdoctoral research programs. Includes the role of a mentor, responsibilities of a mentor, conflicts between mentor and trainee, collaboration and competition, selection of a mentor, and abuse of the mentor/trainee relationship.
Authorship and Publication Practices
The purpose and importance of scientific publication, and the responsibilities of the authors. Includes topics such as collaborative work and assigning appropriate credit, acknowledgments, appropriate citations, repetitive publications, fragmentary publication, sufficient description of methods, corrections and retractions, conventions for deciding upon authors, author responsibilities, and the pressure to publish.
Peer Review
The purpose of peer review in determining merit for research funding and publications. Includes topics such as, the definition of peer review, impartiality, how peer review works, editorial boards and ad hoc reviewers, responsibilities of the reviewers, privileged information and confidentiality.
Collaborative Science
Research collaborations and issues that may arise from such collaborations. Includes topics such as setting ground rules early in the collaboration, avoiding authorship disputes, and the sharing of materials and information with internal and external collaborating scientists.
Human Subjects
Issues important in conducting research involving human subjects. Includes topics such as the definition of human subjects research, ethical principles for conducting human subjects research, informed consent, confidentiality and privacy of data and patient records, risks and benefits, preparation of a research protocol, institutional review boards, adherence to study protocol, proper conduct of the study, and special protections for targeted populations, e.g., children, minorities, and the elderly.
Research Involving Animals
Issues important to conducting research involving animals. Includes topics such as definition of research involving animals, ethical principles for conducting research on animals, Federal regulations governing animal research, institutional animal care and use committees, and treatment of animals
Research Misconduct
The meaning of research misconduct and the regulations, policies, and guidelines that govern research misconduct in PHS-funded institutions. Includes topics such as fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism; error vs. intentional misconduct; institutional misconduct policies; identifying misconduct; procedures for reporting misconduct; protection of whistleblowers; and outcomes of investigations, including institutional and Federal actions.
Conflict of Interest and Commitment
The definition of conflicts of interest and how to handle conflicts of interest. Types of conflicts encountered by researchers and institutions. Includes topics such as conflicts associated with collaborators, publication, financial conflicts, obligations to other constituencies, and other types of conflicts.

Vision

To foster a sustainable ethical research culture in which researchers reflect on and understand the underlying principles that form the basis of ethical practice (rather than conceiving of research ethics solely or primarily in terms of federal regulations), and apply this understanding and reflection concretely in the context of their research.
To foster a research community in which explicitly attending to the ethical dimensions of research is standard practice rather than a mandatory addendum or an ad hoc measure.

Mission

To function as a repository for research ethics materials.
To function as a readily identifiable place that hosts speakers, workshops, seminars and discussions on research ethics, serving both the university and other institutions in the community.
To increase knowledge of and sensitivity to issues surrounding the responsible conduct of research.
To improve researchers’ ability to make ethical choices when faced with conflicts in their research.
To develop positive attitudes towards ongoing self-education of matters involving the responsible conduct of research.

Personnel

Michael Pritchard
Professor, Department of Philosophy; Co-Director, WMU Ethics Center michael.pritchard@wmich.edu | Web site

Victoria Janson
Research Compliance Coordinator, Office of the Vice President for Research
victoria.janson@wmich.edu

Susan Stapleton
Professor, Department of Chemistry; Associate Professor, Dept. of Biological Sciences
susan.stapleton@wmich.edu

Mary Lagerwey
Associate Professor, Bronson School of Nursing; WMU Faculty Senate President
mary.lagerwey@wmich.edu

Sandra L. Borden
Associate Professor, School of Communication; Co-Director of WMU Ethics Center
sandra.borden@wmich.edu | Web site

Amy Naugle
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology; Chair, HSIRB
amy.naugle@wmich.edu | Web site

Paula Kohler
Chair, Department of Educational Studies
paula.kohler@wmich.edu | Web site

Elizabeth S. Bradshaw
Graduate Student Coordinator, RERC
elizabeth.bradshaw@wmich.edu

Feedback and Suggestions

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