Research ethics and integrity training

All research students on the Doctoral Development Programme (DDP) will undertake the research ethics and integrity training module provided by their faculty.

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Overview

Although the majority of the Doctoral Development Programme (DDP) is individually tailored, all PGR students undertake the compulsory research ethics and integrity training module provided by their faculty. Good research practices are fundamental to good research, and it is essential for every student to understand how to conduct their research ethically, and with integrity.

Each faculty runs a module that has been tailored to the needs of its own research students, and you will be automatically registered to attend. For further course details click on your faculty below.

If you are an off-campus student who is unable to attend the face-to-face classes, you must contact the appropriate module provider to enquire how to complete this course remotely

Faculties

Arts and Humanities

Unit code: FCA609 (previously FCA6100 until 2024/25) 

Unit title: Research Ethics and Integrity – Faculty of Arts and Humanities

Staff contact/module provider: Professor Jonathan Rayner, J.R.Rayner@sheffield.ac.uk

Administrative contact: ahdoctoralschool@sheffield.ac.uk

Open to: First and second year of research in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities

All postgraduate researchers in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities are required to complete the module FCA609 Research Ethics and Integrity as a compulsory component of their studies.

This is a core part of your introductory training and you cannot be awarded your PhD until you have passed this course. Our research ethics training is delivered online. This enables you to complete the course at your own pace and at a time to suit you. The module is provided by UKRIO.

All PGR students starting on or after October 2026 will have this training assigned as mandatory training via myDevelopment. To access the training, log in to MUSE and select myDevelopment from My Services. For students starting before October 2026, search for the course using the full title- UKRIO Introduction to Research Integrity. The online course must be completed within the first 9 months of registration and before you undertake Confirmation Review. 

Engineering

Unit code: FCE6100 (from 2026/27 FCE621)

Unit title: Professional Behaviour and Ethical Conduct – Faculty of Engineering

Contact for queries: fce6100@sheffield.ac.uk 

Open to: First year of research – Faculty of Engineering

Semester taught: Graduate year

What is the module about?

Ethical integrity is an important part of your role as a researcher. Our Professional Behaviour and Ethical Conduct module will help heighten your ethical sensitivity and develop your awareness about where each course of action could take you.

The University takes ethical conduct seriously which is why the module is compulsory and one that all PGR students must complete. CDTs may offer their own bespoke ethics training instead of or alongside FCE6100 - the small number of CDTs who are exempt from completing it are listed here. 

The module is part of the Doctoral Development Programme (DDP) and will help you reflect on your own ethical behaviour and gain an understanding of issues facing today’s researchers. It will also give you the opportunity to examine and debate different scenarios.

Why must I take the module?

This module is compulsory and must be taken before your Confirmation Review. It is essential that you understand and can apply ethical judgement and know where to find guidance. Professionalism and the ability to assess the outcome of your actions are an important part of being a researcher which is why we provide this specialist training. Your ethical integrity will also be important to future employees.

The Nuffield report found that 58% of scientists felt tempted or under pressure to compromise on research integrity and standards.
Download the report (PDF, 1.13MB). 

How do I register for the module?

You will be automatically enrolled when you start your studies, and module information will appear on your Blackboard. If you can't see the module information on Blackboard or are concerned that you haven't been enrolled, please contact your School PGR Officer or the FCE6100 administrator at fce6100@sheffield.ac.uk.

How is the module delivered?

To complete the module you will need to undertake all of the following sections:

  • A course delivered via Blackboard, which concludes with an in person workshop to discuss case studies.
  • Complete the UKRIO online courses (instructions can be found in the Blackboard section on external training).
  • An online evaluation and self-assessment will be made available via Blackboard after you have attended the in person discussion. 

Frequently asked questions

What happens if I do not complete it in my first year?

If you do not complete it in the first year you will not be able to complete the Confirmation Review. If Confirmation Review is not completed by 18 months of registration, students will be downgraded to MPhil. The awarding of your degree will be withheld if you have not completed this course.

What if I am a part-time or remote student?

Contact the Faculty at fce6100@sheffield.ac.uk to discuss alternative arrangements.

I have completed the module but this is not shown in my student record, what should I do?

You need to contact whoever organised the course originally. Contact fce6100@sheffield.ac.uk with details of your student number and the dates attended.

Health

Unit code: FCM611 (previously FCM6100)

Unit title: Research Ethics and Integrity- Faculty of Health

Module leads: Dr Richmond Muimo, r.muimo@sheffield.ac.uk Administrator: For any queries email: fohdoctoralschool@sheffield.ac.uk

Open to: First year of research – Faculty of Health

Semester taught: Graduate year

Teaching methods: The module is run over approximately 12 weeks. Students will be given access to the online UKRIO modules (Ethical Research, Research Integrity). Students will be expected to complete the UKRIO modules in a set period of time (6 weeks) and submit the UKRIO certificates to blackboard by a given date.

Students will also have access to other online material on Blackboard. These are case studies and relevant information covering the following topics to develop understanding further.

  • Professional integrity
  • Research involving animals
  • Data integrity  
  • Research involving human participants  
  • Credit, authorship, intellectual property  
  • Professional integrity  
  • Health and Social Care research

A live session will take place partway through this six week period. The session will ask students to reflect on the challenges faced during  their research followed by small group work discussing. The session will finish with an open Q&A.

Following completion of the UKRIO module, students will complete a survey to reflect on their understanding of research ethics issues.  The survey will be sent out two weeks before the final session.

A final session will be held at which all the students enrolled on the module will be assigned or split into small groups. During this group activity, students  will discuss common research ethics issues encountered through the module and examples from their own experiences.  Students will reflect on how the module relates to their research and which part of the module was most relevant to them.

Assessment

To fulfil the requirements to pass this module the PGR needs to do the following:

(a)    Complete the UKRIO modules over a set period of time (6 weeks) and submit your certificates to blackboard by a given date.
(b)    Attend a live interactive session midway through completing the UKRIO modules
(c)    Complete the reflective survey
(d)  Participate in the final reflective session

Students must adhere to all the module requirements to pass the module. Failure to do so will mean their Confirmation Review will be delayed since confirmation is dependent on the completion of this module.

Details of the Reflective Session

By bringing together students from different departments and research areas, the training will provide opportunities for students to meet with and discuss the professional and ethical challenges that are not limited to their own research area or practice but also address a wide range of issues that are relevant to their future development as research leaders.

Aims and objectives

To give thoughtful and guided exposure to key research ethics issues to the PGRs and to give ring fenced time for the PGRs to reflect on how these issues may affect their own research practice.

Learning outcomes

Through reflecting on and critically analysing their own and others’ behaviours and actions, students should gain, through application, a range of key skills for research including the below:

  • Being able to justify and defend the ethical management (design, data collection, etc.) of their research, for example, of a viva panel or to an ethics committee.
  • Being able to navigate any legal and regulatory requirements affecting their research.
  • Being an independent learner.
  • Being better prepared to manage challenges in their research.
  • Becoming professionally socialised within their own research discipline and within the Western higher education context.

Students should also gain key transferable skills useful in any career, helping them to become a more rounded individual, including the below:

  • Analytical and critical thinking.
  • How to work together effectively.
  • Developing the confidence to help them walk the talk, ie sticking to one's principles, being able to make fully informed judgements and take appropriate actions, etc.
  • Being self-aware and knowing when to ask for advice.

Further information

Although the majority of the Doctoral Development Programme (DDP) is individually tailored, all new research students are expected to undertake the research integrity and ethics training module provided by their faculty and will be automatically registered.

Good research practices are fundamental to good research and it is essential for every researcher to understand how to conduct their research ethically and with integrity.

Students could be exempt from the module if they have already had suitable and significant experience of research ethics and integrity training as part of previous postgraduate studies or as part of other professional training.

This does not include clinical ethics training and no partial exemptions will be permitted. Students should provide a short explanation of 150 words, detailing the course they have taken and providing the supporting evidence, such as transcripts.

Exemption criteria

  • The course must have consisted of a minimum of eight hours of contact time and a total of 12 hours of study including the contact time
  • At least four key research ethics areas were addressed during the applicant’s study (examples could include issues of consent and confidentiality, animal research, authorship and data/professional integrity or responsibilities)
  • Exemptions will only be considered if the training had been at postgraduate level or as part of other professional training

How do I access the UKRIO course?

You will be contacted directly by the faculty with your UKRIO login details. If you are having issues please email fohdoctoralschool@sheffield.ac.uk

 
Science

Unit code: FCP611 (previously FCP6101, FCP6102 and FCP6103)

Unit title: Research Ethics and Integrity - Faculty of Science

Staff contact: Graduate School Manager, sciencegradschool@sheffield.ac.uk

Open to: First and second year of research – Faculty of Science

Semester taught: Graduate year

What is the module about?

Ethics are moral principles that guide behaviour. Integrity is about being consistent, honest, truthful and accurate. These characteristics are essential in science research since our purpose is to seek truth. As postgraduate researchers you are expected to conduct your research with ethics and integrity and uphold these values within your scientific community. Consequently this module is compulsory for all PhD students and forms part of the Doctoral Development Programme (DDP).

The module will introduce to you some of the challenging ethical issues facing today’s science researchers. You will reflect on your own ethical behaviour and consider how you would address situations that you might encounter as a researcher. You will discuss case studies based on real events to explore the reasons why some people are tempted to behave unethically and what should be done to uphold the values of integrity that are so important to science. Joining with peers from across the faculty of science will enable you to see a variety of issues and perspectives from different specific subject areas as well as those common to all of science. Common issues include giving appropriate credit to those who contributed to the work, ensuring that our research is untainted by scientific fraud (such as data fabrication/manipulation) and that the conclusions we draw are justified.

Aims and objectives

Good research practices are fundamental to good research and it is essential for every researcher to understand how to conduct their research ethically, and with integrity. Training on research ethics and integrity for all PGR students is compulsory and is part of the Doctoral Development Programme. The key aims of the training are to enable participants to:

  • Recognise good and bad research practice.
  • Reflect on their own ethical behaviour.
  • Consider what to do if they experience potentially unethical behaviour.

Learning Outcomes

Successful completion of the module means participants will be able to:

  • Recognise good and bad research practice.
  • Discuss ethical dilemmas that can occur in their field.
  • Include ethical requirements relevant to their research area when designing investigations/data collection.
  • Justify findings/conclusions using evidenced based analysis suited to their discipline.
  • Critique their own ethical behaviour.
  • Decide on an appropriate course of action if they experience unethical behaviour.
  • Ask for advice from a suitable person when appropriate.

How is the module delivered?

To complete the module you will need to undertake all of the following elements:

  1. Step one (Semester one of year one) A two hour introductory lecture. An online evaluation and self-assessment will be made available via Google Docs after you have attended the introductory lecture.
  2. Step two (Semester two of year one) Students will be asked to complete the online UKRIO ‘Research Integrity’ course.
Social Sciences

Unit code: FCS601 (previously FCS6100)

Unit title: Research Ethics and Integrity – Faculty of Social Sciences

Staff contact/module provider:  Katherine Davies K.Davies@sheffield.ac.uk

Administrative contact: fcs-pgr@sheffield.ac.uk

Open to: First year of postgraduate research in the Faculty of Social Sciences

All postgraduate researchers in the Faculty of Social Sciences are required to complete the module on Research Ethics and Integrity as a compulsory component of their studies.

This is a core part of your introductory training and you cannot be awarded your PhD until you have passed this course. Our research ethics training is delivered online. This enables you to complete the course at your own pace and at a time to suit you. The module is provided by UKRIO. 

All PGR students starting on or after October 2026 will have this training assigned as mandatory training via myDevelopment. To access the training, log in to MUSE and select myDevelopment from My Services.  For students starting before October 2026, search for the course using the full title- UKRIO Introduction to Research Integrity. The online course must be completed within the first 9 months of registration and before you undertake Confirmation Review. 

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