Home page

Doctoral education

Research Ethics for Doctoral Students (course)

The course LC-L1000 Research Ethics for Doctoral Students is obligatory for doctoral students and it is recommended to complete it in the first or second year of study.
People in a library

During the academic year 2024-2025, the 2 ECTS course (54 hrs) comprises of independent study (online 20 hours), assignment works (18 hrs) and 3 mandatory seminars (10 hrs) and a choice of thematic seminars (6 hrs). The course teachers are D.Sc. Enrico Glerean, PhD Annukka Jyrämä and PhD Essi Viitanen. The theme specific seminars will have visiting lecturers to be announced later. 

In autumn 2024, the workshops and seminars will be held on campus during teaching period II and in spring 2025 they will be hybrid/online during teaching period IV. (It is possible that an additional intensive course option will be arranged during teaching period V).

Course registration

Register for the course in Sisu (remember to include it in your credit plan, i.e. study plan in Sisu first). The course description and learning outcomes are also available in Sisu.

Course details in Sisu (sisu.aalto.fi)

This course helped me think of ethical concerns of my own research which is quite useful at my early stage of doctoral research.

Course participant, 2023

Course structure and content (choose period II or period IV)

Date 
Period II
2024		 Date
Period IV
2025		 Seminar / task  (hours) Content   Lecturer(s)

Mandatory

Wed 23.10.2024 10:15-12:00

Hall C, Otakaari 1 
 

Thu 
27.2.2025
10:15-12:00

online

 Introduction 
(Mandatory 2 h) 		 Introduction to the topic of the course
What is research ethics and integrity?
Course practicalities 		 Enrico Glerean, Annukka Jyrämä, Essi Viitanen
Mon 21.10 - Fri 6.12.2024 Mon 24.2 - Fri 11.4.2025 Online course 
Open during the teaching period II and IV (estimated 20h, less assignments than current version) 

Research integrity and ethics – definitions and different approaches. 
Key guidelines 

Learning Goals: 

  • Familiarity and understanding on what research ethics and the current guidelines are
  • Familiarity on the current guidelines on research integrity and 
  • supporting guidelines from the Finnish National Board of Research Integrity (TENK)
 Enrico Glerean, Annukka Jyrämä, Essi Viitanen

Tue 29.10.2024 12:15-16:00

Jeti, Otakaari 5

Thu 6.3.2025
12:15-16:00 

online

 Workshop 1 
(Mandatory, 4h) 

Me as researcher – the proper manners – focus on research integrity, responsible RDM

Learning Goals:

  • Familiarity of RI guidance
  • Understanding of the RI violation process
  • Basic knowledge of good RDM practices

Essi Viitanen and integrity advisor(s), 

Guest lecturer: Legal counsel Anni Tuomela

Tue 5.11.2024 12:15-16:00

Jeti, Otakaari 5

Thu 13.3.2025
12:15-16:00

online

 Workshop 2 
(Mandatory, 4h) 

Human participants in research – focus on research ethics 

Learning Goals:

  • Familiarity on GDPR requirements
  • How to create a privacy notice
  • Familiarity on Ethics pre-review process and its requirements

 Annukka Jyrämä

Guest lecturer: Legal counsel Anniina Harju


Select a minimum of 3 seminars from the list below

Preregistration to evaluate the number of participants. The estimate is for a smaller lecture hall; we can move to a bigger hall if needed.

Tue 12.11.2024 13:15-15:00

F175a, Otakaari 3

Thu 20.3.2025
10:15-12:00

online

 Seminar 1 (2h)

Deeper look into research with human participants with different methodologies

Learning Goals:

  • Understanding research ethical issues in different methodologies and how to mitigate them (e.g. qualitative methods, experiments, surveys) 

Annukka Jyrämä

Quest lecturer: Professor Masood Masoodian 

Wed 13.11.2024
10:15-12:00

F175a, Otakaari 3

Thu 20.03.2025
13:15-15:00

online

 Seminar 2 (2h)

Deeper look into research with human participants and contexts (organizational partners, collaboration, companies, global south)

Learning Goals

  • Familiarity of the specificities in conducting research with partner organizations, Aalto guidelines and support
  • How to take into consideration collaborators request and research ethical issues and guidelines, TENK guidlines and Allea code
  • How to consider the specificities in conducting research in global south, TENK and other guidlines 

Annukka Jyrämä 

Quest lecturer: Senior Manager, Global Engagement Riina Subra

Tue 19.11.2024
13:15-15:00

F175a, Otakaari 3

Thu 27.3.2025
10:15-12:00

online

 Seminar 3 (2h) 

Research integrity and technology: dual use, sanctions, quantum, Environment, EU sustainability goals

Learning goals

  • Familiarize with the relevant legislation
  • Know the process at Aalto
  • Understand the risks of research in relation to EU sustainability goals

Annukka Jyrämä

Quest lecturers: Compliance Officer and Legal Counsel Sampo Kukkonen andAssistant Professor Maaria Nordman

Wed 20.11.2024
10:15-12:00

F175a, Otakaari 3

Thu 27.3.2025
13:15-15:00

online

 Seminar 4 (2h)

Research integrity and technology: AI

Learning goals

  • Familiarize with ethical issues of AI (training data ethics, transparent models, model biases)
  • The risks that AI can pose in modern society
  • Be aware of upcoming legal requirements in relationship to ethics (AI Act)

Enrico Glerean, Annukka Jyrämä

Quest Lecturers: Assistant Professor Arno Solin andSenior Legal Counsel Maria Rehbinder 

Tue 26.11.2024
13:15-15:00

F175a, Otakaari 3

Thu 3.4.2025
10:15-12:00

online

 Seminar 5 (2h) 

Brain Imaging, Medical research, and  research with animals

Learning goals

  • Understand the physical and moral (mind reading) risks of brain imaging
  • Ethical issues in medical studies
  • Overview of the ethics process with HUS

Enrico Glerean

Quest Lecturer: Assistant Professor Hanna Renvall,

Wed 27.11.2024
10:15-12:00

F175a, Otakaari 3

Thu 3.4.2025
13:15-15:00

online

 Seminar 6 (2h)

Research ethics and artistic research

Learning goals

  • Awareness of possible ethical considerations in artistic research
  • Reflection on the role of participants (as subjects or cocreators) as well as the audience of artistic outputs
  • Best practices of authorship in artistic practices

Essi Viitanen

Quest lecturer: Professor Anniina Suominen,

Assignments

Assignment 1 

(4 h)

Write an introduction about yourself and your research? 

  • what you want to learn, what you want to get out of the course

 Make it as a forum post of at least 300 words 

Assignment 2 

(4 h)

Peer assessment; read minimum one other student introduction and comment with focus on research ethics and integrity themes 

Submit as a reply to the original forum post. At least 300 words.

Assignment 3 

(10 h) 

 Final essay – reflect on the learning from the course and how they relate to your own identity as researcher, and your research field, topic and data collection plans

Contact

PhD Annukka Jyrämä at [email protected] 

Researcher skills for doctoral students

Find resources to improve your skills related to data management, research ethics, IPR, dissemination of results and more!

Learn more
Unfocused photo of a laptop with hands over it and backlight shining from a window in the background

Doctoral page index

Index of all aalto.fi pages about doctoral education

Read more
Art work of twigs forming a web
  • Published:
  • Updated: