Responsible Research and Innovation Living Laboratory

This interdisciplinary course aims to equip students to address the social, legal and ethical issues surrounding research and innovation and consider how these relate to their research activites. It will build upon the concepts and insights from the introductory course Foundations in Responsible Research and Innovation. Through discussion and student centred learning students will explore how these ideas may be applied in their working lives – and in their proposed research project.

Timetable

The course will be delivered through weekly seminars using a seminar discussion format, organised around classroom discussion and interactive work. Seminars will run at 12-1pm in Appleton Tower M3.

Assessment

Course assessment will comprise:

• Short report on the ethical assessment of their research project (30%) (1000 word max)

Students will review any prior ethical assessment of their research project. If this has not already been undertaken students will carry out this review applying the appropriate school Research Ethics audit process to their research proposal.

Projects involving access to patients or to personal health data will need to go through a highly elaborate and protracted  formal external Research Ethics approval process. It would not be feasible to address this in the timeframe of this course. Students will instead report on the research choices and their consequences for ethical approval processes.

The short report would summarise the potential ethical issues surrounding their research project and the outcome of the ethical assessment process. Students would reflect upon the potential contribution of the ethical assessment to mitigating undesired outcomes.

Due Monday 24^th February 12 noon

•  A  report reflecting on how they might respond to the challenges of being a responsible researcher in their research (70%) (2000 word max)

In 2019/2020 this report will revolve around the group project.  Research groups will have prepared joint presentations on RRI issues in their project and will receive feedback from the teaching team and their peers.Students are invited to submit individual reports reflecting on how they (as individuals or as a group) respond to the challenges of being a responsible researcher focusing on their group project.

Due Thursday 23^rd April 12  noon

Assessments will be returned with feedback and moderated within 15 working days of submission. The seminar format will encourage peer-to-peer and teacher to peer feedback, contributing to formative assessment.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1.    Develop a critical appreciation of what might be entailed by the practice of responsible research and innovation in their proposed research project

2.    Review external source of information and concepts previously introduced in  the course Foundations in Responsible Research and Innovation and how they might apply in their own intended research project/field of research

3.    Develop a reflexive awareness of the diverse orientations, interests and values of the stakeholders potentially involved in and affected by their proposed research project and other developments in their intended field

4.    Develop their ability to present - in written and verbal form -- coherent, balanced arguments about the social and ethical dimensions of developments in science and engineering research and innovation.

5.      Use a range of research skills to plan and execute an original report reflecting on how they might respond to the challenges of being a responsible researcher in their intended field of research

See also:

• Course entry in DRPS catalogue
• Social Science teaching team