Category Archives: Tools for Research

Research Metrics and Scholarly Communication Tools available at Brescia and Western

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The Beryl Ivey Library’s Scholarly Communication page provides information on the following resources open to the Brescia community: Western’s institutional repository– Scholarship@Western (open to BUC faculty), retaining your author rights, and open access resources.

Western Libraries has created a new website for Research Metrics. Research metrics provides an introduction to various metrics and tools used to evaluate and assess research productivity. Types of metrics include article, author, journal, altmetrics (alternative metrics), and social media.

 

Get a Handle on New Scholarly Communication Tools

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Since 2013, many scholarly communication tools have come flooding in like an open source tidal wave. In the following blog post from LSE Impact Blog: 101 Innovations in Scholarly Communication: How researchers are getting to grip with the myriad of new tools,  the authors discuss the sheer number of scholarly communication tools that have surfaced over the past few years and provide flowcharts and analysis (based on their own survey-based research) to attempt to deduce how researchers are taking advantage of these resources. The authors suggest, “the push for new tools comes from funders (e.g. demanding data archiving of Open Access) but also from researchers themselves that want to capitalize on the possibilities of the internet in collaborating.” The blog post also includes a database of the authors’ findings, which outlines in detail the functions and features of these communication tools.

 

Panel on Responsible Conduct of Research Seeking Public Comment

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The Panel on Responsible Conduct of Research seeks public input and comments on proposed changes to the 2011 Tri-Agency Framework: Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR Framework). The set of proposed changes is now available online.Please submit your written comments on the proposed changes via e-mail.

Comments will be accepted until April 8, 2016. All comments will be posted unless the contributor specifically indicates otherwise. Comments will be posted in the language in which they are received.

Contact information:
Secretariat on Responsible Conduct of Research
350 Albert Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 1H5 Canada
secretariat@rcr.ethics.gc.ca

New TCPS2 Educational Resources – Available Fall 2016

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The Panel on Research Ethics and the Secretariat on Responsible Conduct of Research are creating new educational resources in support of TCPS 2 (2014). Reference: http://www.pre.ethics.gc.ca/eng/resources-ressources/news-nouvelles/nr-cp/2015-12-22/

Education — The TCPS 2 tutorial, Course on Research Ethics (CORE), provides an applied approach to guidance on TCPS 2. It features interactive exercises and multi-disciplinary examples in a media-rich format. An update to CORE is being developed, and it will incorporate policy revisions introduced in TCPS 2 (2014). It is expected to launch in late fall 2016. CORE will be further enhanced by the addition of two new modules: Multi-Jurisdictional Research, and Research Involving the First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples of Canada. Both modules will be posted in PDF format until the launch of the revised CORE tutorial.

Interpretations
As part of its ongoing interpretation service, the Secretariat continues to respond to individual requests. A new set of TCPS interpretations will be posted in January 2016.

Evolution
TCPS is revised periodically in order to provide relevant guidance that keeps pace with emerging ethical issues. TCPS 2 was revised in December 2014, and work continues on areas such as population and public health, clinical trials, material incidental findings, and the appropriate review of cell line research.

The Secretariat continues to support two Panels – the Panel on Research Ethics (PRE) and the Panel on Responsible Conduct of Research (PRCR). For additional information on either panel, new educational resources, or further revisions to TCPS 2 and the RCR Framework, please contact:

Secretariat on Responsible Conduct of Research
350 Albert Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 1H5 Canada

 

 

image source: cohdra, morguefile

Canadian Common CV (CCV) Workshop

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A Canadian Common CV (CCV) workshop will be held at Brescia in February. A CCV is quite often a required attachment for primary applicants and co-applicants when applying for various grant opportunities that use online application interfaces (CIHR, SSHRC etc.). The CCV allows researchers to have a single CV that they can use to apply to multiple agencies. Building and maintaining a CCV can also be a time-consuming task.  In this workshop, we will review the basic instructions for registering and establishing a CCV using the online system. We will learn how to select a funding CV type using the online system and other functional components of the CCV.

Date: Friday, February 5th, 2016

Time: 9:30am – 11:00am

Location: MSJ Room 135

Please feel free to bring your CV and/or specific CCV questions with you, if you have them.

For more information and/or questions, contact Elizabeth Russell-Minda, Research Officer x28260 elizabeth.minda[at]uwo.ca

 

image credit: cohdra, morguefile

Brescia Research Grant Workshop–Focus on Knowledge Mobilization & Translation

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You’re invited to attend a Brescia research grant workshop with a special focus on knowledge mobilization (KMb) and knowledge translation (KT). KMb and/or KT strategies (ideas, activities, partners, plans, etc.) are often required to be developed during the research grant proposal stage (for example, SSHRC and CIHR applications), as well as through the lifecycle of a research project (integrated, and end-of-grant). Kmb/KT strategies are key components of engaged research.

When: Tuesday, November 17th, 2015
Time: 11:30 – 1:00pm
Where: Brescia UC, Mother St. James Bldg, Room 136

Areas of focus in this workshop include:

  • Gaining a better understanding of KMb and KT concepts and strategies;
  • Incorporating KMb / KT into the research grant process (integrated and end-of-grant);
  • KMb / KT related funding opportunities; and
  • Success stories: KMb/KT research grant case studies/examples.

Questions about this session can be directed to Elizabeth Russell-Minda, Research Officer: elizabeth.minda[at]uwo.ca

Western TSC Learning Session–Research Ethics from a Research on Teaching and Learning Perspective

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In this session, Research Ethics from a Research on Teaching and Learning Perspective, Grace Kelly (Western Ethics Officer – Non-Medical REB & Health Sciences REB Delegated) will discuss common research ethics issues that arise for faculty members who do research on their teaching and ways that you can best address these issues before submitting your ethics protocol. She will also outline recent changes to Western’s REB processes and how they will effect your submissions. Please join us for this discussion of ethical issues in research on teaching and learning.

Monday, October 19, 2015
10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Teaching Support Centre, Room 122, The D.B. Weldon Library, Western University campus

Register at: https://www.lib.uwo.ca/tsc/calendar/view_program.php?id=765 

Feedback Wanted: Draft Tri-Agency Statement of Principles on Digital Data Management

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Overview
High-quality data management is fundamental to research excellence.  The ability to store, access, reuse and build upon digital research data is critical to the advancement of research and supports the discovery of innovative solutions to economic and social challenges. Digital data holds tremendous potential for Canada’s productivity and competitiveness, and for improvements in quality of life nationally and internationally.

The Tri-Agencies are committed to fostering a robust environment for data stewardship in Canada and internationally, and to helping ensure that Canada is well positioned to contribute to and capitalize on data-intensive science and scholarship. To achieve this, and while recognizing the diversity of data practices and needs within the Canadian research community, SSHRC, NSERC and CIHR are in the process of reviewing and enhancing their data management requirements for Agency-supported researchers.

As a step in this process, the Agencies have developed a draft Statement of Principles on Digital Data Management. This builds on the 2013 consultation document, Toward a Policy Framework for Advancing Digital Scholarship in Canada, information provided by a Comprehensive Brief on Research Data Management Policies, and advice received through stakeholder engagement.

The draft Statement of Principles on Digital Data Management (the Statement) outlines the Agencies’ overarching expectations with regard to digital research data management, and the responsibilities of researchers, research communities, institutions and funders in meeting these expectations. It complements and builds upon existing Agency policies, and will serve as a guide to assist the research community in preparing for, and contributing to the development of, Tri-Agency data management requirements.

Feedback
SSHRC, NSERC and CIHR invite institutions, associations, organizations and individuals to comment on the draft Statement, its comprehensiveness and balance, as well as its usefulness in advancing data stewardship in general and data management practices in particular. The HTML version is accessible here, and the PDF version is accessible here.

Please note that the Agencies will be accepting feedback on the draft Statement until September 4, 2015. Feedback can be sent electronically to any of the following email addresses:
researchdata@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca
researchdata@nserc-crsng.gc.ca
researchdata@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

Please indicate the section(s) of the draft being referred to in your feedback.

Next Steps
By the end of 2015, SSHRC, NSERC and CIHR will revise the Statement as appropriate and formally adopt it. In 2016, they plan to engage the research community to seek advice on realizing the principles expressed in the draft Statement, particularly with a view to developing new data management requirements.

Brescia Research Ethics Board – Important Updates

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New templates and template guidelines (effective July 14, 2015)

  1. When completing a new BREB application from this moment forward, applicants must use updated templates and guidelines for the Letter of Information, Consent and any other forms required for the study (email/telephone scripts, recruitment posters etc.). The BREB uses Western’s templates/guidelines for these documents and these have been recently updated by Western. Templates will be updated with the Brescia logo and available on the BREB intranet page by late Summer. For now, please replace the Western logo with the Brescia logo on the letterhead.
  2. Links to the templates and guidelines can be found in the BREB application itself, on the BUC REB Intranet page: https://intranet.bresciauc.ca/faculty-resources/brescia-research-ethics-board-reb/ , and on Western’s Research Ethics website:

New BREB Forms (effective July 14, 2015)

In addition to the new templates and guidelines, the BREB has developed two new forms:

  1. Annual Status Report—to be used for a request for study renewal or closure. For end of study status (closure), the Research Officer will send a reminder to applicants in advance letting them know their approved protocol is nearing expiration. The email reminder will include the Annual Status Form as an attachment to be completed by the principal investigator of the study. For renewals, please submit at least 2 weeks in advance for review.
  2. Request for Changes to Approved Protocol—to be used for any changes to an approved ethics protocol. Must be submitted at least 2 weeks in advance for review.

Both forms are located on the BUC BREB intranet page: https://intranet.bresciauc.ca/faculty-resources/brescia-research-ethics-board-reb/

Any questions can be directed to the Research Officer, Elizabeth Russell-Minda, elizabeth.minda[at]uwo.ca

CCV Enhancements

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Updates to the Canadian Common CV (CCV)

Please note that effective June 29, 2015, the following changes have been implemented:

* Record selection management capability

Users who submit a Canadian Common CV to different organizations or to different competitions within the same organization are now able to manage their record selection for each individual Funding CV template. This enhancement allows users to:

  • Create, edit and save versions of each Funding CV template, each with its own customized record selection. This feature is particularly useful to users who need to submit the same type of Funding CV to multiple competitions;
  • Preserve the record selection made in each individual Funding CV template version;
  • View the number of records selected for submission while updating the record selection in each section of CV template versions.

Please note that when loading a template for the first time after June 29, 2015, or when creating a new template version, the record selection will be based on the Generic CV. Any changes in record selection thereafter will be version specific and will not impact any other templates or versions in the CCV. It is important to note that modifications to the CCV dataset (e.g. creating or deleting records, entering or deleting data in individual fields) will still be reflected across all templates and versions created by a user.

* Re-organization of Student/Postdoctoral Supervision records

To enhance the clarity of the Student/Postdoctoral Supervision section in the PDF output of the CCV, all records are now grouped based on the Study Level, followed by descending chronological order.

For any CCV questions or comments directed to CIHR, please contact CIHR at ccv-cvc@cihr-irsc.gc.ca.