One of the courses I’m taking this semester is “Responsible Conduct of Research.” It covers some of the ethical issues associated with being a scientist. The course is a great overview of some of the issues scientists regularly deal with, including misconduct (what it is, and how to avoid it), collaboration, advising, authorship (how much and what kind of effort is required to achieve authorship on a publication?), research with human and animal subjects (IRB approval), mentoring (how to find and/or be a good mentor) – all the things you should know about how to be a professional scientist, but which no one ever really tells you.
This video from the AAAS provides a summary of what the course is all about.
I wish I’d had this introduction as an undergrad.
