Free courses at KPU offer ethics training for research conduct
Three new CITI courses guide students and faculty in complying with regulations and following best practices in research
Students can register for three free CITI program courses this fall. (Pexels/Christina Morillo)
The Office of Research Services at Kwantlen Polytechnic University introduced three new Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) program courses on ethics for students and faculty conducting research.
The courses are “Responsible Conduct of Research,” “Social and Behavioural Research Ethics,” and “Transportation of Dangerous Goods/International Air Transport Association.” The CITI program is a U.S.-based platform founded collaboratively by the University of Miami and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
“[CITI program] is a globally recognized platform that provides training on ethics, ethical conduct of research on compliance and regulations, and also best practices,” says Taranum Sultana, research compliance manager at KPU’s Office of Research Services. She adds that the training platform is used by a lot of universities in both the U.S. and Canada.
“In Canada, we have the Network of Networks (N2) who has modified the content according to Canadian content.”
The courses are offered for free to KPU as part of its collaboration with Michael Smith Health Research BC, which supports research in the province and provides free access to the courses, Sultana says.
The “Responsible Conduct of Research” is recommended for all faculty, research staff, and students, and it provides a foundation of basic norms, principles, and rules about research in Canada, informing researchers on ethical practices.
The “Social and Behavioral Research Ethics” course provides information about the ethical conduct in social and behavioural research. It also covers the current version of the Tri-Council Policy Statement, a joint policy of Canada’s three federal research agencies, in detail, according to KPU’s website.
“A lot of our researchers at KPU are working on social and behavioural research, so that’s why this course was selected,” Sultana says.
“Transportation of Dangerous Goods/International Air Transport Association” is recommended for research staff, lab managers, principal investigators, and students. It provides specific training to ensure people conducting research with dangerous materials, agents, or devices follow all relevant laws.
“It’s important to know when [students] embark on a research journey what their rights and responsibilities are,” Sultana says, adding the courses will give participants an idea of best practices, helping to avoid mistakes and being more informed when doing research.
The courses are self-paced and consist of required, elective, and optional modules, with a quiz after each. Participants will also receive a certificate after the courses are successfully completed.
Some benefits of completing the courses include simplifying research, understanding roles and responsibilities, increasing the credibility of the research, and gaining knowledge on compliance with all regulatory requirements, Sultana says.
“These courses give [students] a way of reflecting on what it means by doing ethical research with ethics and integrity,” she says.
“If they take a career path as a researcher, all these things are very beneficial, not only at [KPU], but whenever they go to any other places after they complete their degree. Having awareness of these points is helpful.”
To access the CITI program, students should use their KPU email account and fill out the consent form. For more information on how to register, visit bitly.cx/YcVlG.
