Upcoming Brown Bag Discussions:

What is This Thing Called Plagiarism and How do I Avoid It?
March 26, 2008
Noon-1:00 p.m.
102 Kern Graduate Building

The Ins and Outs of Internet Research
April 9, 2008
Noon-1:00 p.m.
102 Kern Graduate Building

Upcoming IRB Workshop:

The IRB Process Made Easy
April 3, 2008
12:00 – 1:30pm
102 Kern Graduate Building
* Pre-registration required

Most events are also webcast. For more information, including registration and remote access information, see the ORP web site.

Penn State’s Office for Research Protections has announced its fall Research Integrity Brown Bag Series.

Sessions focus on issues of ethics and integrity in research and are open to the public. All sessions are from noon to 1 p.m. in 102 Kern Graduate Building, and are available via live Web stream, videoconference and teleconference. Beverage and dessert are provided.

• Sept. 13: “Keeping Your Nose Clean While Getting Your Hands Dirty,” presented by David Rosenbaum, distinguished professor of psychology. This session will focus on ethical issues surrounding research publication, both for authors and reviewers.
  To videoconference, RSVP by contacting ORPwebmaster@rtto.psu.edu no later than 5 p.m. Sept. 5. To teleconference, RSVP by contacting Michelle Stickler at mmc115@psu.edu via e-mail, then dial (814) 865-9999 just before noon on the day of the session.
• Sept. 26: “Minimizing Academic Dishonesty: Assigning ‘Cheat-proof’ Assignments, Detecting Plagiarism and Coaching the Writing Process” presented by Jessica O’Hara, associate director, Writing Across the Curriculum. In addition to discussing teaching strategies for minimizing academic dishonesty, this session will also consider the efficacy and ethics of plagiarism prevention subscription services such as http://www.turnitin.com online.
  To videoconference, RSVP by contacting ORPwebmaster@rtto.psu.edu no later than 5 p.m. Sept.18. To teleconference, RSVP by contacting Michelle Stickler at mmc115@psu.edu via e-mail, then dial (814) 865-9999 just before noon on the day of the session.
• Oct. 10: “Working Towards Quality Research through Good Data Management Practices,” presented by Michelle Stickler, education specialist, Office for Research Protections. This session will focus on responsible data management practices and highlight some of the ethical issues inherent in collecting, recording, analyzing and sharing data.
  To videoconference, RSVP by contacting ORPwebmaster@rtto.psu.edu no later than 5 p.m. Oct. 2. To teleconference, RSVP by contacting Michelle Stickler at mmc115@psu.edu via e-mail, then dial (814) 863-0013 just before noon on the day of the session.
• Oct. 26: “Human Participant Research: Pilot Testing and Secondary/Existing Data — IRB Review and Approval,” presented by Tracie Kahler and Jodi Mathieu, research compliance coordinators, Office for Research Protections. This session will assist researchers in determining when review and approval is needed for the pilot testing phase of a research study.
  To videoconference, RSVP by contacting ORPwebmaster@rtto.psu.edu no later than 5 p.m.Oct. 18. To teleconference, RSVP by contacting Michelle Stickler at mmc115@psu.edu via e-mail, then dial (814) 865-9999 just before noon on the day of the session.

Penn State’s Office for Research Protections and the Graduate Student and Faculty Issues Committee present the Survival Skills and Ethics Workshop Series. This series is designed for graduate students, post docs, and junior faculty, but is open to anyone at Penn State.

Each workshop runs from 4:00 – 6:30pm in 102 Kern Graduate Building. Workshops include intensive training in a specific professional skill, as well as an ethical case discussion and dinner. See the ORP Website for more information on each workshop and how to register.

Life of a Successful Research Trainee
October 11, 2006

Getting Started as a Research Trainee: Setting goals, finding a mentor, and establishing an advising committee

Time and Stress Management: Balancing work and life, minimizing stress, and seeking help

Giving Oral Presentations
November 8, 2006

Preparing a Research Presentation: Defining the purpose, standard organization, and designing effective visual aids

Delivering a Research Presentation: Proper dress, appropriate body language, establishing a visual focus, energizing the presentation and connecting with the audience, handling stage fright, and dealing with tough questions

Writing and Publishing Research Articles
November 29, 2006

Writing Journal Articles: Selecting a journal, typical structure of a research article, assigning authorship credit, dealing with writer’s block, ethical dimensions of writing, submitting the paper, and handling reviewer comments

For more information about each of the above workshops, please see the Penn State ORP

In April of 2006, the Penn State Office for Research Protections changed its process for secondary data review. As of August 2006, they will no longer accept the old Application for Use of Secondary Data.

The PRI-created information page on using secondary data at Penn State has been revised to reflect current information on IRB requirements and includes links to the new forms.

On April 17, 2006 Penn State’s Office for Research Protections decommissioned the Application for Use of Secondary data.

Instructions on how to fill out the new applications will be made available on the PRI Data Archive Web site. An announcement will be made when these instructions become available.

If you are currently in the process of putting together an application for use of secondary data in research (not yet submitted to ORP), it is suggested that you wait until after Monday, April 24th - Jen Darragh and Sherry Yocum are meeting with ORP personnel to go over the new forms. After that date, you may consult with either Jen or Sherry for help in filling out the appropriate application forms.

The ORP Research Integrity Brown Bag Discussion Series will kick off February 20, 2006. Below is a listing of session dates and titles. All sessions are teleconferences, but videoconferencing is also an option. For more detailed information, please see the ORP News and Events Web page.

FEBRUARY 20, 2006 - Sampling, Reliability, and Validity Issues in Survey Development

MARCH 23, 2006 - The Ins and Outs of Managing Your Grant Money

MARCH 30, 2006 - How Many Subjects? The Importance of Sample Size Calculations

APRIL 10, 2006 - Write it Down! Getting Away from Paper Napkins in Research Documentation

Issue 10 of the ORP Newsletter (January – March 2006) is now available online.

For a printed version, please visit 201 Kern Graduate Building on the University Park campus.

The following are up-coming educational programs offered by the Office for Research Protections (ORP) at Penn State:

September 29, 2005 - Research Integrity Brown Bag Discussion Series
Protecting the Interests of Student Researchers

John Hanold, Senior Associate Director of Sponsored Programs
Regina Vasilitos-Younken, Senior Associate Dean of The Graduate School

Dial 814-865-9999 to teleconference (limited to 10 callers) OR
Attend the session in-person at 102 Kern Graduate Building from 12:00pm – 1:00pm. Please bring a bag lunch. Beverages and dessert provided.

This session is available for connection by teleconference. To connect to the session, please dial 814-865-9999 a few minutes prior to 12:00pm. RSVP in advance to receive copies of slides prior to the session.

October 4, 2005
Balancing Work and Life: A Graduate Student’s Challenge -
Preregistration is required for this free workshop.

The workshop will focus on competing obligations students face in their roles as graduate students and private (domestic) individuals. A panel comprised of faculty who study work/life balance and graduate students representing a broad spectrum of the University will present their ideas and relate their experiences. The workshop is intended to increase awareness about these competing role obligations and to explore various ways individuals have attempted to balance them. A box lunch will be provided.

Held in 102 Kern Graduate Building from 10:00am – 12:30pm.

Preregistration is required for this free workshop. Please register here through September 29th, 2005. Registration is limited to 40 participants.

The latest edition of the ORP Newsletter, Issue 8 is now available online.