Research Integrity and Responsible Scholarship

URL study guide

https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2024-2025/S_RIRS

Course Objective

Learning about codes of conduct and ethics review at the Faculty of Social Sciences contributes to knowledge and understanding of research design and of norms about working with funders and stakeholders outside university. Plenary discussions and discussions in diverse groups about research ethics and data management contribute to effective teamworking in international and diverse contexts. Completing the ethics review self-check, writing a data management plan, the discussions about ethical dilemmas and the final paper make you reflect on ethics in all phases of the re-search process, and specifically on the social and ethical aspects of big and small data. Writing the paper also develops your writing skills.

Course Content

This course seeks to contribute to a reflection and discussion on the normative consequences of the abstract ideals of science and an awareness of standards of good conduct and the responsibility of researchers in the social sciences. This course helps to ensure that the privacy safeguards built into the law and regulations at VU and the Faculty of Social Sciences are taking effect in practice of social research. For the social researchers of the future it is of key importance to be aware of the ethics of data and to uphold the rights of research participants. As the stream of Big Data swells, what are the appropriate procedures to ask for consent with participation in social research? When can research be conducted legitimately in the absence of explicit consent? What are the ethical limits to the use of publicly available data? What rights do people have with respect to their data, according to Dutch law and European regulations?

Teaching Methods

In this course, you meet in three different types of settings:
- Interactive meetings (1 hours and 45 minutes including a 15-minute break) to discuss public values, codes of conduct, and ethics review procedures;
- Breakout sessions in 2 groups for the workshop to discuss ethics dilemmas;
- Small group meetings (2 or 3 persons) to discuss peer feedback on draft research questions and Data Management Plans.

Method of Assessment

Assessment includes eight assignments (insufficient/sufficient), a final paper (insufficient/sufficient) and active participation in Peer Group Learning (insufficient/sufficient/good).

Literature

See course manual.

Target Audience

First-year students of the research master Social Sciences for a Digital Society, Graduate students enrolled in the Graduate School for Social Sciences.

Recommended background knowledge

This courses focuses on research integrity and responsible scholarship. The course supposes that you have collected data in previous research and have written research reports. You will need the knowledge you gain in this course about ethics review and research data management for your internship and the master thesis in year 2.