Unit Guide

General Information

Unit convenor and teaching staff	Unit convenor and teaching staff Trudy Ambler trudy.ambler@mq.edu.au Contact via trudy.ambler@mq.edu.au W6A136 By Appointment
Credit points	Credit points 2
Prerequisites	Prerequisites 45cp and permission of Executive Dean of Faculty
Corequisites	Corequisites
Co-badged status	Co-badged status
Unit description	Unit description Among the contexts for research in Australia is a federal policy designed to ensure that the human participants in research are treated ethically. The Australian National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2009) establishes criteria for most types of research that involve human participants and it requires that researchers adhere to these criteria. When researchers are planning studies covered by this policy they must design their projects in ways that conform to its requirements. Additionally researchers must submit their research projects for approval to institutional Review Boards. This unit aims to provide students with an introduction to ethics as an important part of research in the Arts. The unit also explores ethics in professional and personal contexts and prepares participants to engage with society as an ethically aware citizen capable of informed professional and personal judgment.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

Describe some historical issues in the responsible conduct of research involving humans, and their importance for current research conduct.
Examine the key values and principles informing the Australian National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2009).
Identify and understand the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Guidelines for Ethical Research in Indigenous Studies.
Participate in online discussions and activities, to compare ideas, build on others’ ideas, provide and justify other points of view, and reach conclusions that take account of aspects of an issue.
Explore professional and personal codes of ethics.
Create a range of texts, such as leaflets, PowerPoint slides and reflective narrative to communicate information using the appropriate grammar, spelling, punctuation and referencing.
Develop an understanding of what it might mean to be an ethically informed citizen.

Assessment Tasks

Name	Weighting	Due
Online Quiz	20%	25th August 2014
Ethics Leaflet	30%	19th September 2014
Ethics Portrait	30%	3rd November 2014
Active Participation	20%	24th November 2014

Online Quiz

Due: 25th August 2014
Weighting: 20%

Complete an online quiz about the Australian National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research.

On successful completion you will be able to:

Describe some historical issues in the responsible conduct of research involving humans, and their importance for current research conduct.
Examine the key values and principles informing the Australian National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2009).
Participate in online discussions and activities, to compare ideas, build on others’ ideas, provide and justify other points of view, and reach conclusions that take account of aspects of an issue.
Create a range of texts, such as leaflets, PowerPoint slides and reflective narrative to communicate information using the appropriate grammar, spelling, punctuation and referencing.

Ethics Leaflet

Due: 19th September 2014
Weighting: 30%

Research, design and produce a leaflet that explains to other University students the key ethical values that inform research involving humans. Share your leaflet with a fellow student and reflect on the feedback that you receive about the effectiveness of your leaflet. See the information in iLearn for more details about the requirements for this assignment.

This task will be assessed by the following criteria: content, structure, design, writing style, referencing and reflection. A detailed rubric for this task will be supplied in the Assessment section in iLearn.

On successful completion you will be able to:

Examine the key values and principles informing the Australian National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2009).
Identify and understand the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Guidelines for Ethical Research in Indigenous Studies.
Create a range of texts, such as leaflets, PowerPoint slides and reflective narrative to communicate information using the appropriate grammar, spelling, punctuation and referencing.

Ethics Portrait

Due: 3rd November 2014
Weighting: 30%

Use digital images and text to create a portrait of your personal ethics framework. Further details about this assignment are available in ilearn.

This task will be assessed by the following criteria: engagement with key concepts, response to concepts, introduction, design, writing style, referencing. A detailed rubric for this task will be supplied in the Assessment section in iLearn.

On successful completion you will be able to:

Explore professional and personal codes of ethics.
Create a range of texts, such as leaflets, PowerPoint slides and reflective narrative to communicate information using the appropriate grammar, spelling, punctuation and referencing.
Develop an understanding of what it might mean to be an ethically informed citizen.

Active Participation

Due: 24th November 2014
Weighting: 20%

Make a positive contribution to the online discsussions and complete the online activiies throughout the unit. All online discussions and activities should be completed by the due date.

This task will be assessed according to the following criteria: quantity and quality of initial as well as follow-up postings (incl. use of references to support views, clarity and style, interaction with others). A detailed rubric for this task will be supplied in the Assessment section in iLearn.

On successful completion you will be able to:

Describe some historical issues in the responsible conduct of research involving humans, and their importance for current research conduct.
Examine the key values and principles informing the Australian National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2009).
Identify and understand the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Guidelines for Ethical Research in Indigenous Studies.
Participate in online discussions and activities, to compare ideas, build on others’ ideas, provide and justify other points of view, and reach conclusions that take account of aspects of an issue.
Explore professional and personal codes of ethics.
Create a range of texts, such as leaflets, PowerPoint slides and reflective narrative to communicate information using the appropriate grammar, spelling, punctuation and referencing.
Develop an understanding of what it might mean to be an ethically informed citizen.

Delivery and Resources

Unit Requirements

During the unit students will be required to:

Submit the required assessment tasks in a timely manner.
Complete all the required readings for the unit.
Contribute to online discussions and activities.

Online Participation Guidelines

A significant part of your online learning experience involves learning with and from other students and the teacher in the online discussions and activities. Active participation means sharing information and resources, posting your own ideas, and critiquing or expanding on the ideas of others in a respectful and collegial fashion. You are expected to follow accepted standards of English spelling, grammar and punctuation, when you are participating in web discussions or sending emails. These discussions are for you to exchange your reflections with your classmates and teacher about what you are learning. The discussions will be organised into forums around the particular themes you are studying.

As an online student, you will be taking a proactive approach to your learning. As the Unit Convenor’s role is that of a learning guide, your role is that of the leader in your own learning. You will be managing your own time so that you can complete the readings, activities and assignments for the unit.

Submission of Assignment

All work is to be submitted via the Turnitin function inside the ilearn site.

Return of marked work

Marked work will be returned to students electronically via ilearn.

Electronic Submissions

Information about how to submit work online can be accessed through the ilearn unit.

Examinations

Important: There are no examinations in this unit.

Special Consideration and Extensions

Please email the unit convenor if you find yourself unable to meet the submission dates for assessments.

Technology

Online units can be accessed at: https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/login/MQ/

1. For technical support with passwords or to check if the Learning Management System (LMS) is down, go to http://informatics.mq.edu.au/help/

2. This unit is taught fully on line and access to the internet and a computer are essentail (mobile technology such as an iphone or ipad are not sufficent for this course).

3. For Learning & Teaching issues e.g. how to access your online materials such as readings, i-lecture, please contact the Unit Convenor.

4. For basic training in how to use the LMS, please go to http://mq.edu.au/iLearn/student_info/index.htm

Academic Honesty Policy

Academic honesty is an integral part of the core values and principles contained in the Macquarie University Ethics Statement (http://www.mq.edu.au/ethics/ethic-statement-final.html). Its fundamental principle is that all staff and students act with integrity in the creation, development, application and use of ideas and information. This means that:

All academic work claimed as original is the work of the author making the claim.
All academic collaborations are acknowledged.
Academic work is not falsified in any way
When the ideas of others are used, these ideas are acknowledged appropriately.

The link below has more details about the policy, procedure and schedule of penalties that will apply to breaches of the Academic Honesty policy.

http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

University Grading Policy

http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html

The grade a student receives will signify their overall performance in meeting the learning outcomes of a unit of study. Grades will not be awarded by reference to the achievement of other students nor allocated to fit a predetermined distribution. In determining a grade, due weight will be given to the learning outcomes and level of a unit (ie 100, 200, 300, 800 etc). Graded units will use the following grades:

HD High Distinction 85-100

D Distinction 75-84

Cr Credit 65-74

P Pass 50-64

F Fail 0-49

REQUIRED READING

Adams, J., S., Armen, T. & Shore, T., H. (2001). Codes of Ethics as Signals for Ethical Behavior. Journal of Business Ethics, 29 (3), 199-211.

Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (2009). Guidelines for Ethical Research in Indigenous Studies. Accessed: Tuesday, December 14, 2010 http://www.aiatsis.gov.au/research/ethical.html

Davis, M. (1997). Indigenous Peoples and Intellectual Property Rights. Parliament of Australia, Parliamentary Library, Research Paper, 20.

Fritzsche, D., J. & Oz, E. (2007). Personal Values - Influence on the Ethical Dimension of Decision Making. Journal of Business Ethics, 75, 335–343.

Lehavot, K. (2009). “My Space” or Yours? The Ethical Dilemma of Graduate Students’ Personal Lives on the Internet. Ethics and Behaviour, 19(2), 129–141.

Nancy K. Freeman (1999): Morals and Character: The Foundations of Ethics and Professionalism, The Educational Forum, 63:1, 30-36

National Health and Medical Research Council (2009). National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research. Accessed: Tuesday, December 14, 2010

http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/publications/attachments/e72_0.pdf

National Health & Medical Research Council (2001).Intellectual Property Management For Health and Medical Research. Accessed: Tuesday, December 14, 2010 NHMRC Interim Guidelines for Intellectual Property Management for Health and Medical Research (PDF, 96KB)

Research Ethics in Australia (Research Involving Human Participants V2) Online Ethics Centre for Engineering 6/14/2006 National Academy of Engineering Accessed: Tuesday February 14, 2012 http://www.onlineethics.org/Topics/RespResearch/ResResources/nbacindex/nbachindex/hchalmers.aspx

Robert, V., Carlson, Kenneth, M., Boyd, and David, J., Webb (2004). The revision of the Declaration of Helsinki: past, present and future. Br J Clin Pharmacol, June; 57(6), 695-713.

Trials of War Criminals before the Nuremberg Military Tribunals under Control Council Law No. 10, Vol. 2, pp. 181-182. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1949. Accessed: Tuesday, December 14, 2010

http://ohsr.od.nih.gov/guidelines/nuremberg.html

RECOMMENDED READING

Brody, B., A. (2009). Special Section: Expanding the Boundaries of Bioethics. Research Ethics: International Perspectives. Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics, 6(4), 376-384.

Frankel, S., M. (1989). Professional Codes: Why, How, and with What Impact. Journal of Business Ethics, 8 (2-3).

Guillemin, Marilys, Heggen, Kristin (2009). Rapport and Respect: Negotiating Ethical Relations between Researcher and Participant. A European Journal, 12(3), 291-299.

Pierce, M., A., & Henry, J., W. (1996) Computer Ethics: The Role of Personal, Informal, and Formal Codes. Journal of Business Ethics, 15: 425-437.

Watkins, J. (1999). Conflicting Codes: Professional, Ethical, and Legal Obligations in Archaeology. Science and Engineering Ethics, 5(3), 337-345.

Unit Schedule

This unit of study consists of a series of ten key themes (some of which are sub-divided into smaller sections). It is also organised into two main parts. The first part (themes 1-6) is mostly an introduction to ethics in research. Its purpose is to provide the resources, knowledge, and information – including historical background and critical terminology – that you’ll need to know in order to demonstrate a reasonable degree of understanding related to the ethical issues underpinning research in Australia. The second part (that is to say, themes 7-10), is mainly concerned with applying the ideas, principles, arguments, and ethical insights introduced in themes 1- 6 to a range of professional and personal contexts. It is assumed that no student in the course will have had much experience studying ethics.

Overall, the total time you are expected to devote to your coursework is 78 hours. If for some reason you find yourself falling behind or unable to complete an assignment on schedule you should immediately notify the Course Convenor.

Module 1	Introducing Ethics
Module 2	The values and principles underpinning the Australian National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research.
Module 3	The historical context for ethics and the ethical review of human research in Australia.
Module 4	Values and Principles of Ethical Research in Action – Section 1 Research merit and integrity Justice Beneficence Respect
Module 5	Values and Ethical Research Principles in Action – Section 2 Conflict of Interests Intellectual Property Privacy
Module 6	Ethical considerations for research involving particular categories of human participants.
Module 7	Guidelines for Ethical Research in Australian Indigenous Studies.
Module 8	Unpacking the ethical principles underpinning research involving Australian Indigenous peoples.
Module 9	Ethical Codes of Practice in the Professions
Module 10	Ethics at Work in our Personal Lives.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html

Grading Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html

Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html

Grievance Management Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grievance_management/policy.html

Disruption to Studies Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html The Disruption to Studies Policy is effective from March 3 2014 and replaces the Special Consideration Policy.

In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://informatics.mq.edu.au/help/.

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and Initiative

We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.