Abstract
AbstractThis article reviews educational efforts to promote a responsible conduct of research (RCR) that were reported in scientific publications between 1990 and early 2020. Unlike previous reviews that were exploratory in nature, this review aimed to test eleven hypotheses on effective training strategies. The achievement of different learning outcomes was analyzed independently using moderator analysis and meta-regression, whereby 75 effect sizes from 30 studies were considered. The analysis shows that the achievement of different learning outcomes ought to be investigated separately. The attainment of knowledge strongly benefited from individualized learning, as well as from the discussion and practical application of ethical standards. Contrarily, not covering ethical standards tended to be a feature of successful courses, when looking at other learning outcomes. Overall, experiential learning approaches where learners were emotionally involved in thinking about how to deal with problems were most effective. Primarily intellectual deliberation about ethical problems, often considered the “gold standard” of ethics education, was significantly less effective. Several findings from previous reviews, e.g., the preferability of mono-disciplinary groups, could not be replicated with multivariate analysis. Several avenues for future research efforts are suggested to advance knowledge on the effectiveness of research integrity training.
Highlights
For several decades, education on responsible conduct of research (RCR) has been offered to promote ethically accountable research by means of raising people’s awareness of relevant issues and developing their abilities to address them
Thirteen of the 66 studies included in the prior meta-analysis by Watts et al (2017) fulfilled our inclusion criteria, with the majority of these studies (n = 36) being excluded because they did not refer to RCR education
Seventeen studies included in our meta-analysis were not considered in the meta-analysis by Watts et al (2017), only four of them were published after 2015
Summary
Education on responsible conduct of research (RCR) has been offered to promote ethically accountable research by means of raising people’s awareness of relevant issues and developing their abilities to address them. In the USA, serious cases of misconduct led the Office of Research Integrity, the National Academy of Sciences, and the National Institutes of Health to require obligatory training for researchers upon receiving a grant in the early 1990s. This has boosted training and education on RCR in the curriculum in the USA, leading to a bulk of literature on the aims, methods, and effects of such trainings (Steneck, 2007). A broad variety of courses focus on increasing knowledge, attitudes, and competences of students and researchers on integrity issues, e.g., the ability to recognize harmful research practices, the knowledge of codes of conduct, or attitudes that promote a culture of accountability
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