External resources
There are many excellent online sources to learn more about research ethics. Here are some examples. Please note that these resources have not been quality assured by the National Research Ethics Committees.
General Resources
COPE
The Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) has given advice on scientific publication through 20 years.
The committee consists of editors, publishers and other professionals. They have resources concerning best practices, but the website also offers a large collection of real cases in publishing ethics.
The Embassy of Good Science
The Embassy of Good Science is developed by and for researchers, the idea is to be the Euorpean 'hub' for fostering good science and sharing resources concerning ethics and integrity. Includes a number of cases for discussion.
https://embassy.science/wiki/Main_Page
INTEGRITY
A consortium of 11 European partners led by the University of Utrecht. They have developed resources such as a free course on supervising and mentoring.
SOPs4RI (Standard Operating Procedures for Research Integrity)
A EU-project developing a toolbox with standard operating procedures and guidelines that research performing and funding organisations can use to develop their own Research Integrity Promotion Plans, in accordance with The European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity (ALLEA).
Netherlands Research Integrity Network (NRIN)
This website includes a library of relevant thesis, reports and book reviews.
The dilemma game
Created by Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Dilemma Game confronts researchers with difficult dilemmas in the context of a critical dialogue, supporting them in further developing their own 'moral compass'.
This resource is offered both as printable cards and through an app.
https://www.eur.nl/en/about-eur/policy-and-regulations/integrity/research-integrity/dilemma-game
VIRT2UE Train the Trainer program
This program addresses researchers and educators from different disciplines who want to become trainers in Research Integrity. The training takes a virtue-based approach and supports participants in reflecting on their understanding of, and own positions towards research integrity. The program aims to foster the internalization of the principles of the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity.
https://embassy.science/wiki/Training_Informations
Specific resources
The Research Handbook, From Idea to Publication
This handbook from Oslo University Hospital provides tips and guidance to hospital staff, health professionals and biomedical researchers who have an idea they want to turn into a high-quality research project. The book covers the entire research process, from idea to approvals and publication.
The Research Handbook (Forskningshåndboken) - Oslo universitetssykehus HF
Movies
Here you will find a selection of documentaries, feature films and videos with relevance to research ethics.
Are you going to participate in research? You should know this!
Educational movie. The National Research Ethics Committees have helped UiO develop an animated film for the EU-funded CO:RE project, ensuring children and young people understand their rights as research participants. The film provides essential information for researchers, teachers, and others explaining research participation to children.
The film has been translated into multiple languages and is freely available on the project's website:
Project website
Watch on YouTube
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (2017)
Feature film. Henrietta Lacks died of cancer in 1951, but her cells live on without her consent. In the movie, her daughter seeks to learn about the mother she never knew and discovers how the unauthorized use of her cancer cells led to major medical breakthroughs. The HeLa cell line, named after Lacks, remains one of the most important in medical research and continues to be bought and sold worldwide, generating millions in profit.
On being a scientist (2016)
Educational movie. The movie was created by Leiden University to provide an engaging starting point for teaching research ethics. It explores the role of researchers in society, ethical dilemmas, and gray areas in research integrity. Used in university education, the movie is divided into nine parts and is now being studied for its effectiveness as a teaching tool.
The Dark side of Science: The horror of the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment (2021)
Documentary. This short animated documentary addresses the development of the Tuskegee experiment, where researchers went from failing to inform participants that they had syphilis to failing to treat them as effective medicine eventually became available.
Japanese World War II veterans recall horrors of Unit 731 (2014)
News report. Japanese war veterans talk about the experiments that took place in Unit 731. The unit worked on biological warfare and experimented on living humans.
Prison experiments (2009)
News report. During the Cold War, a series of experiments were conducted on prisoners in American prisons. Many still bear the scars. Author Allen Hornblum and former inmate Yosuf Anthony talk about the events described in the book Sentenced to Science.
Something the Lord Made (2004)
Feature film. This HBO movie is about the first experimental surgery on children with heart disease. The story is rooted in the work of Dr. Blalock and his technician, Vivien Thomas, at Johns Hopkins University in the 1950s.
Darwin's Nightmare (2004)
Documentary. Oscar-nominated documentary about ecological experiments involving the introduction of Nile perch into Lake Victoria in the 1960s.
Jurassic Park (1993)
Feature film. Researchers discover a method to bring dinosaurs back to life. They place them on an uninhabited island and are in the final stages of establishing a theme park there. Relevant research ethics questions related to the film include: Biotechnology is making continuous progress – it gives us the ability to manipulate life, to create and recreate. At Harvard, a research group is currently working on cloning a new mammoth. Is that a good idea? Will we reach a point where we can recreate dinosaurs? And should we do it? What consequences could it have for us, for the environment, and not least – for the new life form itself?
Kitchen Stories (2003)
Feature film. The movie explores the complications associated with a research project aimed at completely avoiding human interaction with the subject being studied.
Blade Runner (1982)
Feature film. A sci-fi classic that explores deep ethical questions about artificial intelligence, genetic engineering, and the moral implications of scientific progress. Set in a dystopian future, the film follows Rick Deckard, a "blade runner" tasked with hunting down bioengineered humanoids known as replicants. These beings, created by the powerful Tyrell Corporation, possess human-like intelligence and emotions but are treated as disposable property. The film raises critical research ethics questions: Should artificially created beings have rights? Where should the limits of genetic engineering be drawn? And what responsibility do scientists and corporations have for the life they create?
The Experiment (2010)
Feature film. A psychological thriller based on the infamous Stanford prison experiment. The film follows a group of men participating in a simulated prison study, where they are randomly assigned roles as guards and prisoners. As the experiment spirals out of control, it raises critical ethical questions about authority, human behavior, and the dangers of research that disregards the well-being of its subjects.
Ex Machina (2015)
Feature film. A young programmer is selected to participate in a ground-breaking experiment in synthetic intelligence by evaluating the human qualities of a highly advanced humanoid A.I.
Do you have other suggestions for external resources? Please send us an e-mail: info@forskningsetikk.no