Empowering Supervisors Towards Responsible Research Conduct in Supervision via an Online Course: A Pilot Study
Abstract
Supervision and mentoring are highly relevant aspects of research integrity. Codes of Conduct, such as the ALLEA code of conduct, stipulate the relevance of training researchers how to conduct research well and about the role supervision plays in preventing unacceptable research practices. The Dutch Code of Conduct, for example, explicitly states that universities are responsible for facilitating training about research integrity. We developed a course for supervisors to address their responsibility and role in training early career researchers in research integrity. This contribution describes what evidence base was used to design this course and how the course is experienced by supervisors who participated in its piloting in early 2022. A total of 147 subscribed to the course in the testing phase, and seventeen participants obtained a certificate. The main lessons from the experiences with this course and the literature are 1) to tailor supervisor courses to the small amounts of time that supervisors can schedule to take these courses and to adjust the content and assignments to their needs, 2) to make online courses very attractive, but that need to be combined with
3) a face-to-face meeting to motivate them to finish the course in time and it might help to enable shared reflection by sharing personal experiences.
Downloads
References
Abdi, S., Pizzolato, D., Nemery, B., & Dierickx, K. (2021). Educating PhD students in research integrity in Europe. Science and engineering ethics, 27(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-021-00290-0
ALLEA. (2017). The European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity. https://allea.org/code-of-conduct/
Bird, S. (2001). Mentors, Advisors and Supervisors: Their Role in Teaching Responsible Research Conduct. Science and Engineering Ethics, 7(4), 455–468. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-001-0002-1
Burroughs Wellcome Fund & Howard Hughes Medical Institute (2006). Making the Right Moves: A Practical Guide to Scientifıc Management for Postdocs and New Faculty. Retrieved September 11, 2023, from https://www.hhmi.org/sites/default/files/Educational%20Materials/Lab%20Management/Making%20the%20Right%20Moves/moves2.pdf
Clynes, M., Corbett, A., Overbaugh, J. (2019). Why We Need Good Mentoring, Nature Reviews Cancer, 19(9), 489–493. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41568-019-0173-1
DeTora, L. M., Carey, M. A., Toroser, D., & Baum, E. Z. (2019). Ghostwriting in biomedicine: a review of the published literature. Current Medical Research and Opinion, 35(9), 1643–1651. https://doi.org/10.1080/03007995.2019.1608101
Dilemma Game. Erasmus University Rotterdam. (n.d.). https://www.eur.nl/en/about-eur/policy-and-regulations/integrity/research-integrity/dilemma-game
Dumford, A. D., & Miller, A. L. (2018). Online learning in higher education: exploring advantages and disadvantages for engagement. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 30(3), 452–465. https://doi.org/10.1080/03007995.2019.1608101
Filius, R. M., Kleijn, R. A. D., Uijl, S. G., Prins, F. J., Rijen, H. V. V., & Grobbee, D. E. (2018). Challenges concerning deep learning in SPOCs. International Journal of Technology Enhanced Learning, 10(1–2), 111–127. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJTEL.2018.088341
Fisher, C. B., Fried, A. L., Goodman, S. J., & Germano, K. K. (2009). Measures of mentoring, department climate, and graduate student preparedness in the responsible conduct of psychological research. Ethics & Behavior, 19(3), 227–252. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508420902886726
Freire, P. (2000). Pedagogy of the oppressed (30th-anniversary ed.). Continuum.
GaspariÄ, R. P. (2017). Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams, Flipped Learning: Gateway to Student Engagement, International Society for Technology in Education: Eugene, Oregon and Washington, DC, 2014; 169 pp.: ISBN 978-1-56484-344-9. Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal, 7(3), 173–176.
Gøtzsche PC, Kassirer JP, Woolley KL, Wager E, Jacobs A, Gertel A, et al. (2009) ‘What should be done to tackle ghostwriting in the medical literature?’ PLoS Med, 6(2). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000023
Gray, P. W., & Jordan, S.R. (2012). Supervisors and Academic Integrity: Supervisors as Exemplars and Mentors. Journal of Academic Ethics, 10(4), 299–311. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10805-012-9155-6
Guerin, C., & Green, I. (2015) “They’re the bossesâ€: feedback in team supervision. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 39(3), 320–335. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2013.831039
Guo, P., (2017) ‘MOOC and SPOC, which one is better?’ Eurasia Journal of Mathematical Sciences and Technology Education 13(8), 5961–5967. https://doi.org/10.12973/eurasia.2017.01044a
Harvey, L. A. (2018). Gift, honorary or guest authorship. Spinal Cord, 56(2), 91–91. https://doi-org.vu-nl.idm.oclc.org/10.1038/s41393-017-0057-8
Haven, T. L., de Goede, M. E. E., Tijdink, J. K., & Oort, F. J. (2019). Personally perceived publication pressure: revising the Publication Pressure Questionnaire (PPQ) by using work stress models. Research Integrity and Peer Review, 4(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41073-019-0066-6
Haven, T., Bouter, L., Mennen, L., & Tijdink, J. (2022). Superb supervision: A pilot study on training supervisors to convey responsible research practices onto their PhD candidates. Accountability in Research, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/08989621.2022.2071153
Haven, T., (2021) Towards a responsible research climate. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
Kalichman, M.W., & Plemmons, D.K. (2018). Intervention to Promote Responsible Conduct of Research Mentoring. Science and Engineering Ethics, 24(2), 699–725. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-017-9929-8
Lokhtina, I., Löfström, E., Cornér, S., & Castelló, M. (2020). In pursuit of sustainable co-authorship practices in doctoral supervision: Addressing the challenges of writing, authorial identity and integrity. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 59(1), 82–92. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2020.1799839
Lerouge, I., & Hol, A. (2020). Towards a research integrity culture at universities: From recommendations to implementation. League of European Research Universities.
Löfström, E., & Pyhältö, K. (2019). What are ethics in doctoral supervision, and how do they matter? Doctoral students’ perspective. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 64(4), 535–550. https://doi.org/10.1080/00313831.2019.1595711
Muthanna, A., & Alduais, A. (2020). A thematic review on Research Integrity and Research Supervision: Relationships, Crises and Critical Messages. Journal of Academic Ethics, 19(1), 95–113. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10805-020-09368-z
Netherlands Code of Conduct for Research Integrity. (2018). NWO. https://www.nwo.nl/en/netherlands-code-conduct-research-integrity
Pierson, E., Vora, V., Pells, R., Grove, J., Upton, B., Jack, P., & Ross, J. (2019, January 17). Third of PhD students in Europe “fail to complete in six years.†Times Higher Education (THE). https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/third-phd-students-europe-fail-complete-six-years
Rathmell, W. K., Brown, N. J., & Kilburg, R. R. (2019). Transformation to academic leadership: The role of mentorship and executive coaching. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 71(3). https://doi.org/10.1037/cpb0000124
Roje, R., Reyes Elizondo, A., Kaltenbrunner, W., Buljan, I & MarusÌŒicÌ, A. (2022). Factors influencing the promotion and implementation of research integrity in research performing and research funding organizations: a scoping review, Accountability in Research, 1-39. https://doi.org/10.1080/08989621.2022.2073819
Saqipi, B., & Vogrinc, J. (2020). The development of teacher research as a form of developing teacher pedagogical practice. Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal, 10(3), 5-9.
Scherpenberg, C. van, Bultema, L., Jahn, A., Löffler, M., Minneker, V., & Lasser, J. (2021, March 28). Manifestations of power abuse in academia and how to prevent them. Elephant in the Lab. https://elephantinthelab.org/manifestations-of-power-abuse-in-academia-and-how-to-prevent-them
Schlossberg, P., & Cunningham, C. (2016). Diversity, instructional research, and online education. Communication Education, 65(2), 229-232. https://doi.org/10.1080/03634523.2015.1098713
The Embassy of Good Science. (2022, November 29). Main Page. https://embassy.science/wiki/Main_Page
Theunissen, B., & van den Hoven, M. (2021). Taking RCR seriously in teaching scientific integrity. Bioethica Forum. https://doi.org/10.24894/bf.2021.14010
UK Data Service. (2023, January 5). Checklist. https://ukdataservice.ac.uk/learning-hub/research-data-management/plan-to-share/checklist/
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors are confirming that they are the authors of the submitted article, which will be published online in the Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal (for short: CEPS Journal) by University of Ljubljana Press (University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education, Kardeljeva ploščad 16, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia). The Author’s/Authors’ name(s) will be evident in the article in the journal. All decisions regarding layout and distribution of the work are in the hands of the publisher.
- The Authors guarantee that the work is their own original creation and does not infringe any statutory or common-law copyright or any proprietary right of any third party. In case of claims by third parties, authors commit themselves to defend the interests of the publisher, and shall cover any potential costs.
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
