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Panel on Research Ethics Launches the TCPS 2 Tutorial

The Interagency Advisory Panel on Research Ethics is pleased to announce the launch of a new, online tutorial, TCPS 2: Course on Research Ethics (CORE). CORE was designed to support the Canadian research community’s implementation of the 2nd edition of the Tri-council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS 2).

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Bookmarked by Dina Bogecho on 21 Jun 2011
ethics training (1)

Just Published: UNESCO Bioethics Core Curriculum Casebook Series

The Division of Ethics of Science and Technology is pleased to announce the following two recent publications in English produced as supplements to the UNESCO Bioethics Core Curriculum:

* Casebook on Human Dignity and Human Rights, and
* Casebook on Benefit and Harm.


The Core Curriculum, which was developed by a group of ethics teaching experts from diverse cultural backgrounds, is a key component of UNESCO’s strategy to promote high standards of bioethics education around the world. Based on the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights (2005), it is designed to introduce the bioethical principles of the Declaration to university students. It does not impose a particular model or specific view of bioethics, but articulates ethical principles that are shared by scientific experts, policymakers and health professionals from various countries with different cultural, historical and religious backgrounds. In order to ensure a flexible application of this tool, the Curriculum invites teachers and students to expand its contents and approaches based on the local context.

The new casebooks are part of the UNESCO Bioethics Core Curriculum Casebook Series, designed to be used with the Core Curriculum, or as stand-alone study material for one of the bioethical principles in the Declaration. In order to encourage wide dissemination and usage of this series, the casebooks are freely available in hardcopy, in CD-ROM as well as for electronic download. These casebooks will also be translated into French soon.

If you would like to receive hardcopies and/or CD-ROMs of the casebooks, please send an email to geobs@unesco.org with your mailing address and the number of copies of each item (subject to the availability of stock).

Electronic copies of the casebooks and the core curriculum are available for download as follows:

Casebook on Human Dignity and Human Rights (in English only):

http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0019/001923/192371e.pdf

Casebook on Benefit and Harm (in English only):

http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0019/001923/192370e.pdf

UNESCO Bioethics Core Curriculum Section 1 (Syllabus):

Arabic: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0016/001636/163613a.pdf

English: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0016/001636/163613e.pdf

French: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0016/001636/163613f.pdf

Russian: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0016/001636/163613r.pdf

Spanish: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0016/001636/163613s.pdf

UNESCO Bioethics Core Curriculum Section 2 (Study Materials):

A new version of Section 2 will be launched in a separate announcement in the coming weeks.

Further study materials related to the Bioethics Core Curriculum and to ethics teaching in general could also be accessed from the Global Ethics Observatory (GEObs) Database on Resources in Ethics (http://www.unesco.org/shs/ethics/geobs).

Please contact the Division for any questions, comments or feedback (email: geobs@unesco.org).

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Bookmarked by Dina Bogecho on 4 Aug 2011
ethics training (1)

A Comparison of Online versus On-site Training in Health Research Methodology: A Randomized Study

by Rakesh Aggarwal, Nikhil Gupte, Nancy Kass, Holly Taylor, Joseph Ali, Anant Bhan, Amita Aggarwal, Stephen D Sisson, Sukon Kanchanaraksa, Jane McKenzie-White, John McGready, Paolo Miotti, Robert C Bollinger

Abstract   Background: Distance learning may be useful for building health research capacity. However, evidence that it can improve knowledge and skills in health research, particularly in resource-poor settings, is limited. We compared the impact and acceptability of teaching two distinct content areas, Biostatistics and Research Ethics, through either on-line distance learning format or traditional on-site training, in a randomized study in India. Our objective was to determine whether on-line courses in Biostatistics and Research Ethics could achieve similar improvements in knowledge, as traditional on-site, classroom-based courses.Methods: Subjects: Volunteer Indian scientists were randomly assigned to one of two arms. Intervention: Students in Arm 1 attended a 3.5-day on-site course in Biostatistics and completed a 3.5-week on-line course in Research Ethics. Students in Arm 2 attended a 3.5-week on-line course in Biostatistics and 3.5-day on-site course in Research Ethics. For the two course formats, learning objectives, course contents and knowledge tests were identical.Main Outcome Measures: Improvement in knowledge immediately and 3-months after course completion,compared to baseline. Results: Baseline characteristics were similar in both arms (n = 29 each). Median knowledge score for Biostatistics increased from a baseline of 49% to 64% (p < 0.001) 3 months after the on-site course, and from 48% to 63%(p = 0.009) after the on-line course. For the on-site Research Ethics course, median score increased from 69% to 83% (p = 0.005), and for the on-line Research Ethics course from 62% to 80% (p < 0.001). Three months after the course, median gains in knowledge scores remained similar for the on-site and on-line platforms for both Biostatistics (16% vs. 12%; p = 0.59) and Research Ethics (17% vs. 13%; p = 0.14).Conclusion: On-line and on-site training formats led to marked and similar improvements of knowledge in Biostatistics and Research Ethics. This, combined with logistical and cost advantages of on-line training, may make on-line courses particularly useful for expanding health research capacity in resource-limited settings.

19th July 2011 • comment