To provide instruction and dialog on practical ethical issues relating to the responsible conduct of human and animal research in the brain and cognitive sciences. Specific emphasis will be placed on topics relevant to young researchers including data handling, animal and human subjects, misconduct, mentoring, intellectual property, and publication.

Provides graduate students and fellows with techniques that enhance both validity and responsible conduct in scientific practice. Topics include study design, laboratory practice, treatment of data, human and animal research, intellectual property, preparation of proposals, research papers, posters, and oral presentations. Also discussed are mentoring relationships and career options. Aspects of responsible research conduct are integrated as appropriate to the specific topic under discussion. Subject satisfies the training grant requirements of the NIH for education in the responsible conduct of research. This course is designed to provide graduate students and postdoctoral associates with techniques that enhance both validity and responsible conduct in scientific practice. Lectures present practical steps for developing skills in scientific research and are combined with discussion of cases. The course covers study design, preparation of proposals and manuscripts, peer review, authorship, use of humans and non-human animals in research, allegations of misconduct, and intellectual property. Also discussed are mentoring relationships and career options. Aspects of responsible research conduct are integrated into lectures and case discussion as appropriate to the specific topic. This course also satisfies the training grant requirements of the NIH for education in the responsible conduct of research.

In this lesson, students will define types of research misconduct (plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, confidentiality) and then analyze lab notebooks for compliance with legal and regulatory standards.