Professional Ethics in Research
Responsible (and Ethical) Conduct of Research (RCR)
Responsible (and ethical) conduct of research “is defined as the practice of scientific investigation with integrity. It involves the awareness and application of established professional norms and ethical principles in the performance of all activities related to scientific research” (NOT-OD-10-019).
Work with your mentor to understand how to give credit through citations, and about granting of permissions for use of material covered by copyright. Your mentor will also guide you in the use of appropriate research methods, analysis of results, and open data sharing. You can also explore course offerings in experimental design, data analysi,s and reproducibility of data (both within and beyond your discipline)
Deciding who gets authorship and co-authorship on scientific communication (papers and presentations) can be tricky. Open discussions about this with your mentor is important to ensure that the appropriate people get credit. It is critical that all co-authors on projects have the opportunity to comment on all submissions (this includes abstract submissions for meetings).
Also, look for opportunities to participate in workshops that address research ethics and the responsible conduct of research during your graduate program.
Office of Research Compliance, Responsible (and Ethical) Conduct of Research
CITI Training
The university uses the CITI Program to deliver a variety of online courses, including RCR training. CITI offers a number of discipline-focused RCR courses, although the content is similar, if not the same. Users must create a CITI account and self-assign training. CITI also generates completion certificates that can be useful for tracking purposes. Information about CITI is available on the Office of Research Compliance’s CITI page.
GCOLL 505 Responsible Conduct of Research
GCOLL 505 Responsible Conduct of Research is a course led by the Office of Research Compliance that focuses on basic concepts, principles, and practices governing research compliance and RCR in each of four disciplinary areas (one area chosen by each student): biomedical sciences, social and behavioral sciences, physical sciences and engineering, humanities. Each area includes an overview of research conduct and misconduct, data acquisition and management, responsible authorship, peer review, mentoring, conflicts of interest, collaborative research, human subjects, and animal research. Online materials are produced by the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI). Lectures will cover the online materials and related case studies and other areas of research compliance ,including patents, intellectual properties, non-disclosure agreements, and sponsored projects. Individuals interested in using or taking this course should contact orc@boisestate.edu for further information.
Consult with the Office of Research Compliance
The Office of Research Compliance (ORC) at Boise State University aids students in certain areas of research and some academic activities to comply with federal, state, and local laws/regulations as well as certain sponsor requirements and University policies.
Research Compliance Resources