A postgraduate degree in Communication Arts and Sciences is foremost a research degree. Graduate students learn to conduct high quality research that will advance knowledge, develop and test theory, and offer novel and compelling insights into communication in our society. Conducting research carries with it important responsibilities, including upholding standards for scholarly integrity, following guidelines for the treatment of human research subjects, promoting ethical professional conduct, and navigating the realm of co-authorship and collaboration.
Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR) (formerly SARI)
All graduate students at Penn State are required to complete the University’s Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR) requirements related to scholarship, research integrity, and ethical research practices. The RECR program consists of two components: online training and discussion-based educational activities.
In the fall semester following matriculation, M.A. and Ph.D. students are required to complete two non-credit online courses offered through the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI Program): one addressing Human Subjects Research (IRB) and the other addressing the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR). Students receive information regarding enrollment, course content, and completion deadlines before the beginning of the fall semester. A typical completion deadline for these courses is November 1.
In addition to the online training, both M.A. and Ph.D. students must complete a minimum of five hours of discussion-based education related to the responsible conduct of research and research integrity. The Office for Research Protections (ORP) provides a variety of opportunities to satisfy this requirement, including RECR Orientation Sessions, Introduction to IRB Workshops, and other RECR-approved workshops and educational activities offered throughout the academic year. Students are encouraged to attend both an RECR Orientation Session and an Introduction to IRB Workshop during their first year, as these programs provide foundational knowledge of the ethical, regulatory, and practical responsibilities associated with conducting research. Attendance at ORP-sponsored activities is tracked by ORP and recorded in LionPATH.
In addition to the workshops offered by ORP, the CAS graduate faculty offer disciplinary-specific discussion-based sessions during the regularly scheduled departmental colloquium. First-year students are required to participate in these sessions as part of enrollment in colloquium. All students are encouraged to fulfill their RECR hours with these CAS offerings to the extent that schedules allow.
Students must complete all RECR requirements prior to graduation. M.A. students who advance to the Ph.D. program will have already satisfied the RECR requirement through their master’s degree and therefore will not be required to repeat either the discussion-based educational components as doctoral students.