INTHE4120 – Ethical issues in international health research - advanced module in research ethics

Course content

This course focus on a cluster of salient topics in international research ethics, some of which have been introduced in the INTHE4008 - Research Ethics - introductory module in research ethics:

  • Designing scientifically and ethically sound studies,
  • Research ethics challenges in resource-poor settings: equality, justice and equity; the standard of care debate, post-trial obligations, fair distribution of benefits and harm; exploitation; unfair/undue inducement, collaborative injustice,
  • Benefit sharing pertaining to scientific research and its applications, access to essential medicines,
  • Ethical issues pertaining to the use of traditional medicine, and
  • Research ethics challenges in post-disaster situations.

Learning outcome

You will learn how to know the core epistemological and ethical principles in quantitative and qualitative research and be able to interpret and apply these principles in local research settings.

Knowledge

You will get to know:

  • The core epistemological and ethical principles in quantitative and qualitative research
  • The responsibility of researchers when involving vulnerable individuals, groups and communities in research
  • The pros-and counter-arguments employed in the debate about the use of standard of care versus placebo in resource-poor settings
  • What fair distribution of benefits and harms entail
  • The pros- and counter-arguments employed in the debate on exploitation
  • What post-trial obligations to participants and communities entail
  • How different regulatory regimes might influence the access to essential medicines
  • The responsibility of international researchers when involving local collaborators in conducting a study
  • The ethical obligations pertaining to conducting research in post-disaster situations

Skills

  • You will learn to interpret and apply ethical and epistemological principles in local research settings

General Competence

You will attain:

  • familiarity with the ethical challenges pertaining to sharing the benefits of scientific research and its applications
  • familiarity with the ethical challenges pertaining to conducting research on traditional medicine

Admission

Students enrolled at the M.Phil in International Community Health programme will get first priority to the course, as long as they register before 10 January. The deadline for register in Studentweb and apply for courses is February 1.

Students enrolled in other Master's degree programmes at the UIO can, on application to helsam-studentinfo@helsam.uio.no, be admitted to the course if this is cleared by their own study programme. We prioritize students at other programmes at the Institute and Faculty. You will get an answer latest 20 January.

External applicants, not already enrolled as a student at UIO, are welcome to apply. Please fill out the form at /english/studies/programmes/ichealth-master/admission/ to check if you meet the requirements and which documents to you need to provide. In short you need to provide:

  • A completed Bachelor’s degree or a period of study comparable with a Norwegian Bachelor's degree from a recognised institution.
  • A minimum grade point average (GPA) of C (in Norwegian scale) or equivalent from the specialization in your degree.
  • A English language test of a certain level.
  • The applicants must have a specialization either within health sciences or social sciences.

To apply, please ema