Develop the skills that power strong research
From ethical and inclusive practices to compliance, integrity, safety, and security. The Vice-Principal Research Portfolio offers asynchronous and synchronous training modules to support you throughout your research lifecycle.
Some modules require a Queen’s NetID for access.
For additional learning opportunities, see Webinars: Upcoming and Past.
Ethics training
Navigating the ethical landscape training series
This training series introduces foundational principles for conducting human-participant research responsibly. It emphasizes responsible recruitment, informed consent, and assent practices aligned with the Tri-Council Policy Statement (TCPS 2), ensuring researchers understand and fulfill their obligations. There are three courses in this series. They should be completed in the following order:
This is the first course in the training series.
This training course was developed to provide education for individuals engaging in human-participant research. It ensures that those with the privilege of conducting this work understand fully what is expected of them to fulfill their ethical obligations.
Learning outcomes
After completing this course, you will be able to:
- Recognize the 2 phases of the recruitment process included in research participant recruitment with respect to the TCPS 2, upholding research participants' autonomy throughout the research recruitment process.
- Ascertain the initial point of contact and approach to engage with potential research participants about participating in a research study in line with the 3 core principles of the TCPS 2.
- Distinguish when a power imbalance exists within the recruitment process and select ways to eliminate or minimize it to recruit participants without pressure or manipulation.
Unit 1: The approach to informed consent
This is the second course in the training series.
This foundational course is designed for researchers working with human participants. It provides essential guidance to help you meet your ethical obligations and uphold the highest standards of integrity in research when conducting informed consent.
Whether you’re new to human-participant research or seeking a deeper understanding of ethical consent practices, this course will equip you with the knowledge and tools to conduct research responsibly.
After completing this course, you will be able to:
- Recognize that obtaining informed consent from potential research participants poses specific challenges.
- Recognize that facilitating a dialogue to ensure informed consent is the process the researcher is responsible for.
- Recognize that giving consent is the process that the participant is responsible for.
- Recognize that determining informed consent is subjective and the researcher's responsibility.
- Identify ethically valid methods to consent potential research participants.
Learn more about informed consent
Unit 2: Assent
This is the third course in the training series.
This course is a foundational level course, intended for those who are new to conducting research studies with human research participants and for those wishing to gain a more complete understanding of the ethical methods involved in assent.
After completing this course, you will be able to:
- Define the concept of assent and differentiate it from informed consent.
- Identify situations in which assent is the appropriate method to obtain agreement to participate in a research study.
- Describe the key elements of a valid assent process, including ability-appropriate communication.
Ethics for graduate students
This training series is designed to guide graduate students through best practices for participant recruitment and informed consent processes that are ethically sound, helping emerging scholars navigate research ethics with confidence and integrity. This course emphasizes practical strategies, including selecting appropriate recruitment methods and preparing key details for Research Ethics Board (REB) applications. There are two courses in this series. They should be completed in the order as listed.
This course was designed for students of the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (SGSPA), and equips learners with the knowledge and tools to ethically recruit participants, meet General Research Ethics Board (GREB) requirements, and uphold the highest standards of research integrity.
After completing this course, you will be able to:
- Ascertain Initial Point of Contacts (IPCs) (or “IPC tools”) that meet the study’s proposed recruitment method to be able to adhere to the standards of non-health-related research (GREB at Queen’s University).
- Locate and complete the appropriate GREB application with details outlining your chosen recruitment strategy and approach.
- Identify recruitment strategies centred on the chosen study design methodology and describe these clearly for REB submissions.
This course was designed for students of the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (SGSPA), and equips learners with the knowledge and tools to conduct ethically sound informed consent, to meet General Research Ethics Board (GREB) requirements, and uphold the highest standards of research integrity.
After completing this course, you will be able to:
- Recognize that obtaining informed consent from potential research participants poses specific challenges.
- Recognize that facilitating a dialogue to ensure informed consent is the process the researcher is responsible for.
- Recognize that giving consent is the process that the participant is responsible for.
- Recognize that determining informed consent is subjective and the researcher's responsibility.
- Identify ethically valid methods to consent potential research participants.
- Locate and complete the appropriate GREB application with details outlining your chosen recruitment strategy and approach.
Inclusive research training
These training opportunities support researchers in advancing accessibility and embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion across all stages of the research process. Together, they provide a comprehensive foundation for fostering respectful, inclusive, and socially responsible research at Queen’s.
These modules will equip researchers at Queen’s University with the knowledge base necessary to incorporate accessibility considerations within their teams and at different stages of the research process.
Explore inclusive research training
This training module covers key topics, including an introduction to equity, diversity, and inclusion in research design, strategies for developing inclusive research teams, and guidance on embedding EDI principles into knowledge mobilization, knowledge translation, and data management.
Discover equity, diversity, and inclusion training