A randomized trial of a lab-embedded discourse intervention to improve research ethics

Dena K. Plemmons (), Erica N. Baranski, Kyle Harp, David D. Lo, Courtney K. Soderberg, Timothy M. Errington, Brian A. Nosek and Kevin M. Esterling ()
Additional contact information
Dena K. Plemmons: Graduate Division, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521
Erica N. Baranski: Institute on Place, Wellbeing and Performance, University of Arizona, Tuscon, AZ 85711
Kyle Harp: Department of Anthropology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521
David D. Lo: School of Medicine Division of Biomedical Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521
Courtney K. Soderberg: Center for Open Science, Charlottesville, VA 22903 U.S.A.
Timothy M. Errington: Center for Open Science, Charlottesville, VA 22903 U.S.A.
Brian A. Nosek: Center for Open Science, Charlottesville, VA 22903 U.S.A.; Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903
Kevin M. Esterling: School of Public Policy, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2020, vol. 117, issue 3, 1389-1394

Abstract: We report a randomized trial of a research ethics training intervention designed to enhance ethics communication in university science and engineering laboratories, focusing specifically on authorship and data management. The intervention is a project-based research ethics curriculum that was designed to enhance the ability of science and engineering research laboratory members to engage in reason giving and interpersonal communication necessary for ethical practice. The randomized trial was fielded in active faculty-led laboratories at two US research-intensive institutions. Here, we show that laboratory members perceived improvements in the quality of discourse on research ethics within their laboratories and enhanced awareness of the relevance and reasons for that discourse for their work as measured by a survey administered over 4 mo after the intervention. This training represents a paradigm shift compared with more typical module-based or classroom ethics instruction that is divorced from the everyday workflow and practices within laboratories and is designed to cultivate a campus culture of ethical science and engineering research in the very work settings where laboratory members interact.

Keywords: research ethics; randomized trial; authorship; data management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nas:journl:v:117:y:2020:p:1389-1394

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