Today we’re stepping behind the scenes into a critical – but often invisible – part of the research world: maintaining integrity. Joining us is Dr. Courtney Karmelita, Executive Director of Ethical Research and Outreach at Penn State. In today's conversation, we'll talk about what really happens when concerns are raised, how institutions handle research misconduct investigations, the challenges of navigating gray areas, and why a culture of integrity matters now more than ever.

Additional resources:

• Interested in learning more about research integrity? Register for CITI Program’s free live webinar “I’m a new RIO, what do I do now?” on July 9. https://about.citiprogram.org/news/free-live-webinar-im-a-new-rio-what-do-i-do-now/
• On Campus – A CITI Program Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1896915/
• CITI Program Course Catalog: https://about.citiprogram.org/courses/

How do we responsibly study digital communities without violating their trust? Where do we draw the line between research and interference? Joining us today is Dr. Sarah Gilbert, a research associate at Cornell University and research director of the Citizens and Technology Lab. Her work focuses on supporting healthy online communities, including how online data can be reused ethically. Together, we'll unpack the CMV subreddit case, explore how current research norms are being tested in real time, and ask what a more transparent future might look like.

Additional resources: 

Research papers about ethical research on Reddit:

• Remember the Human: A Systematic Review of Ethical Considerations in Reddit Research - https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/3633070
• Cross-Platform user expectations for social media data reuse - https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20539517231164108

Guides:

• Association for Internet Researchers: Internet Research: Ethical Guidelines 3.0 - https://aoir.org/ethics/
• PERVADE Data Ethics Tool - https://pervade.umd.edu/pervade-data-ethics-tool/
• AskHistorians Policy for Researchers using r/AskHistorians in Research - https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1iu4otk/meta_new_policy_for_researchers_using/
• Excavating awareness and power in data science: A manifesto for trustworthy pervasive data research - https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20539517211040759
• Beyond the Individual: A Community-Engaged Framework for Ethical Online Community Research - https://arxiv.org/pdf/2503.13752

Tool for large-scale disclosure:

• Procedural and Substantive Ethics in the Design of Research Ethics Systems - https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/20563051221077021

Today’s episode is a celebration of CITI Program’s 25th anniversary. We talk with a panel of long-time employees, including Jaime Arango, Vice President of Content and Education, Daniel Smith, Director of Content and Education, and Adiper Bello, Director of Operations and Support, about the history of CITI Program, key milestones in the company, and where CITI Program is headed.

Additional resources:

• CITI Program timeline: https://about.citiprogram.org/get-to-know-citi-program/