Training in research ethics is required for all Gettysburg faculty, students, and administrators who plan to conduct research with human subjects. Training is available through CITI Program. Please not the expiration date on the certificate. If you received human subject’s research training at another institution through another program, within the past three years, please consult with the IRB chair to see if it is comparable to and can substitute for the CITI training.
CITI Training
How to Undertake CITI Training:
- Register to set up a new account.
Click “Register” and follow directions
- Log In to access the training course appropriate for your discipline
For first-time users: Click “Add a Course” (under “My Learner Tools for Gettysburg College,” in lower left)
- Select Responsible Conduct of Research Course (required for all Gettysburg personnel)
- Select one of the following:
Biomedical Research Investigators
Social & Behavioral Research Investigators
*Note: For those returning to CITI after selecting their training course: The two courses selected (above) will appear on your homepage after login. You can log out and return, and CITI will keep track of your progress.
- Complete the “Responsible Conduct of Research” course, as well as the appropriate modules under “Biomedical Research” or “Social & Behavioral Research.” Modules include training materials (text and videos) and end with quizzes.
*Note that researchers do not need to complete every module. Rather, departments are entitled to select the modules appropriate to scholars in their discipline and to the particular research project of the faculty member or student. Ask your department chair if your department has made a selection of appropriate CITI training modules. If the department has not yet done so, researchers are required to complete all modules (very time-consuming).
**Note also that CITI training courses do not permit one to skip modules. However, to bypass a module not required by one’s department, or irrelevant to one’s research, one can simply "click through" a course and its quiz in order to proceed to the next module. One need only complete and pass the modules required by the department and relevant to one’s research.
- After completing all required CITI modules, record the completion date on your IRB application form.
*Note that the IRB has administrator privileges with the CITE website and will check on applicants’ completion of CITE modules.
Additional Resources on IRBs and Human Subjects Research
In addition to CITI training, the following resources are helpful for any individual who is interested in learning more about the IRB process or the ethics of conducting research with human subjects.
Office of Human Research Protections (OHRP)
OHRP is the governmental agency that oversees all human research. This site has descriptions of all federal policies and guidelines concerning human subject research.
One of the two main documents that guide IRB policies and procedures, this report was published in 1979 by the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research.
The other main document that guides IRB policies and procedures.