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1. What is ‘Health Research Ethics’?
Research ethics concerns the use of people as test subjects in research studies. It seeks to ensure that the safety, welfare and rights of human research subjects are not compromised in the pursuit of new knowledge, inventions or innovations.
Health research ethics focuses on the use of human subjects in health / medical research. These include clinical trials, observational studies, qualitative studies and any other types of research that involve the sourcing of human tissues or health-related data.
2. Who should use this course?
This e-learning course is developed primarily for researchers who are conducting health or medical research in Malaysia, particularly those who are new to the research ethics application process.
However, it is also open to anyone who is interested to learn more about health research ethics regardless of their previous experience or knowledge. This includes research assistants, students, healthcare professionals, ethics committee members, research participants or the general public.
If you are not sure whether this course is suitable for you, it may be useful to go through Module 1: Introduction to research ethics.
3. Can I use this course if I am not doing research in University Malaya (UM) / University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC)?
Yes. This course offers a basic introduction to health research ethics which should be generally applicable to all researchers. However, users outside of UM / UMMC should note that certain content in this course, particularly those relating to ethics review procedures (Module 8), was developed based on UMMC’s Standard Operating Procedures and has not been cross-checked with other institutions. Whenever possible, these contents are signposted in the course.
In developing this course, we have also referenced a multitude of resources from different countries. Please note that rules and regulations may differ between countries.
4. Do I need any prior knowledge for this course?
While we try to make this course accessible to anyone who wants to learn about health research ethics, users with some command of the English language and science background may find it easier to grasp the content.
You do not need to have previous research experience or sophisticated medical knowledge to use this course, although certain parts of the course may be less relevant to you if you are not a health / medical researcher.
5. What does this course involve?
This is a fully self-directed online course consisting of nine inter-connected modules. Users will be presented with reading tasks, videos, case studies and interactive questions with immediate feedback throughout the course. Links to useful external resources are provided at relevant sections in each module.
6. How do I navigate the course?
You may navigate to each of the nine modules from the 'Home' page by clicking on their respective titles. From individual modules, you can return to the 'Home' page by clicking ‘Back to home page’ at the bottom of every page.
Within each module, you may jump to different sections using the ‘Menu’ panel or go through the content in sequence using the ‘Next’ / ‘Previous’ buttons. The design of every module is identical. Instructions are provided with learning activities and should be fairly simple to follow.
If you find it difficult to access or navigate certain parts of the course, please contact us.
7. How long does it take to complete the course?
The length of each module has been estimated based on average user experience during our trial period. However, please note that how long you eventually spend on each module will vary depending on your learning needs and prior knowledge in the respective topics.
8. Do I have to finish all the modules?
While we advise beginners to work through each module in sequence and complete all activities, you may find that certain parts of the course are less relevant to you than others. It is ok to skip or come back to them later. You are responsible for your own learning.
9. Is there any formal assessment or exam for this course?
No, there is no formal assessment although interactive activities and questions are posted throughout the course. Whenever possible, immediate feedback is made available to facilitate reflection and self-assessment. We hope that you will spend some time to think carefully about the activities and questions before clicking for answers.
10. Is this course free-of-charge?
Yes, this course is currently free-of-charge. Please feel free to share the link to this website with others if you have found it useful, we hope that it will be beneficial to as many people as possible.
If you would like to use or adapt part or all of this course for your own teaching purposes, please contact us or the UM Centre of Innovation & Commercialization (UMCIC).
11. Is the course endorsed by the Ministry of Health or other regulatory authorities?
This course has been created solely to facilitate learning and research practice. It is NOT a formal guideline and has not been endorsed by the Ministry or any other regulatory authorities.
Although reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that the content of this course is in accordance with international and Malaysian law / regulations / guidelines at the time of its creation, the latter must take precedence in the event of any disparities. If you do notice any disparities between this course and formal guidance documents, we would be grateful if you can please let us know via our feedback form.
12. Will I get a certificate if I complete the course?
Currently the course does not track user progress and will not generate a certificate upon completion of all the modules. However, we are looking into offering this option in the future as we continue to improve and develop this course. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated, please use our feedback form.
13. Who should I contact if I have questions about the course?
Please refer to the ‘Contact us’ section.