Our experience in teaching research ethics to biological science students Jamie Dow (IDEA CETL)

Experience of Research Ethics teaching Mine –Introduction for Research Postgraduates in Biological Sciences (one session in collaboration with Michelle Peckham) CETL Staff –A key part of CETL activity since its inception (2005), various staff (Gooday, Megone, Testa) with experience going back considerably further –Research Ethics Development Officer (appointment from Autumn 2007)

Key features of CETL perspective These reflections are from the ethicist’s perspective CETL approach aims to be strongly collaborative Case Study-based teaching strongly preferred

Reflections: teaching method Value of teaching ethics not just codes/rules Use of case studies Value of collaborative teaching Credibility in collaborative teaching

Reflections: purpose and aim Differences between ethics and science –Disconcerting for some research students Hazards of co-teaching: disagreement! –Problem or Advantage? Depends on aims. Hazards of inter-disciplinary collaboration: expectations and aims

Responding to difficulties Easy to exaggerate difficulties Avoiding difficulties –Planning / collaboration –Clarifying aims & expectations –Research ethics input at multiple stages

Gooday: Training courses on Research Ethics at Leeds Starting PhD students: ‘tell me the rules of the game’ Mid-PhD: arrive at training courses with particular issues in mind Experienced Academics: often relieved to talk in depth about tricky issues Relativist “saboteurs”: be prepared!