Responsible Conduct of Research Training in Graduate Education: Preliminary Results

• In Event: 1555 - Section on Science, Knowledge, and Technology Refereed Roundtables (1 hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: 7. The Job of Research: Examining the Academic Institution of Science

Abstract

Training in the responsible conduct of research (RCR) has been dramatically expanded in the past two decades, in large part due to federal regulations. However, relatively little is known about its effectiveness. A RCR requirement was instituted for all graduate students at Western Michigan University, and this paper is a first look at the differences it has made, both in terms of the knowledge of research ethics and the potential impact on academic misconduct.
The results from a sample of 2419 graduate students across six colleges indicate that there are persistent differences across certain groups (e., female/male and MA/PhD), but not some others (e.g., race, US/international). There is also a tenuous connection between the training and reports of academic misconduct. The results are discussed in terms of their potential impact on administrative decision-making.

Authors

• Thomas L. Van Valey, Western Michigan University

• Christine L. Byrd-Jacobs, Western Michigan University

• Thi A. Tran, Western Michigan University

• Susan R. Stapleton, Western Michigan University