This education project is developing, field-testing, and widely disseminating a set of teaching modules for building graduate student skills in publication ethics to address the need to provide relevant and current knowledge of and appreciation for the facts and principles of the eight most common publication ethics issues, as well as the tools needed to integrate and apply the guidelines to actual situations using professional standards of practice. These tools are for use by higher education institutions, laboratory groups, individuals, and professional societies and incorporate proven materials and methods, as well as novel approaches. They are effective for US and international graduate students in science and engineering programs and integrate easily into Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training. An online Community of Practice (COP) is being designed to engage trainees and experienced scientists and engineers in ongoing discussions about scientific publishing, publication ethics, and professional standards of practice in these areas.
The American Physiological Society (APS) has extensive experience in the development and implementation of professional skills, training programs, and professional development programs in science, including for women and minorities. The collaborating societies (Society for Biological Engineers and Biomedical Engineering Society) and the Project Advisory Board include exceptionally qualified researchers, editors, and educators not only in physiology but also in engineering, research integrity, and ethics education. The outcomes are therefore expected to be broadly applicable in science and engineering across a variety of institution types including those who serve under-represented groups, especially as the materials and evaluation results are being disseminated via websites and digital libraries as well as via education journal articles and presentations and ongoing courses offered by the APS and other participating organizations.
