Research Ethics: an Introduction

There’s never a shortage of questions; it’s the answers that are harder to determine. For example, what type of consent is appropriate for biobanking research? When are the risks and benefits of research appropriately balanced? What special protection mechanisms are needed to include “vulnerable” study populations? How can we ensure scientific integrity in research? During this course, you will tackle these and other issues, while learning to apply theoretical insights to recent cases.

By the end of the course, you should be able to:

• discern the morally salient dimensions of a research project, and come to a well-considered judgment about the acceptability of such a project
• reflect on moral dilemmas for researchers and Research Ethics Committees, and be able to systematically analyze such dilemmas
• weigh the various arguments involved, and work towards a well-reasoned position or decision

Our courses are aimed at clinical researchers, nurses, general practitioners, and other health professionals who want to improve their skills in epidemiology, statistics and (clinical) research.

3 weeks, 14 hours per week (online)

To successfully complete this course, you need to participate actively in the discussion forums, complete learning unit assignments and complete the final assignment. You will be able to redo the final assignment once.

Even though you can manage your own time our courses are not intended as individual education. We offer personalized online learning with lots of interaction with peer students, the E-moderator and lecturers. Flexibility from students, a positive attitude towards teachers and peers and the willingness to learn together and help each other is invaluable to our courses. To experience maximum interaction, we advise you to log on several times per week.

Note that the starting dates of courses, interim deadlines, and dates of exams are fixed, but you can choose when and where you want to watch web lectures and work on assignments. The e-moderator of the course will inform you about the beginning of the course and about deadlines during the course.

The average required study workload for the courses of MSc Epidemiology Postgraduate Online is 14 hours per week. You will need this time to study, to keep up with the assignments and course material.

To enrol in this course, you need:

• Preferably to already have taken the course Introduction to Epidemiology
• Preferably to already have taken the course Study Design in Etiologic Research

Please note that this course is part of an existing program within the Graduate School of Life Sciences. Tuitition fees may alter during the year.