Implementation Support for the PREPARED Code

Abstract

Research ethics and integrity codes lay the foundation for ethical research. However, stakeholders in research may struggle to move from reading codes to applying them, especially during times of crisis when there is increased uncertainty and risk. To bridge this gap, the PREPARED project team has developed adaptable tools to support implementation of the PREPARED Code for research ethics and research integrity during pandemics. These include training clips to accompany each code article, an experiential learning app, and how-to style guidelines for enhancing the resilience of stakeholder-specific processes. In this chapter, we summarise PREPARED’s approach to code implementation, elaborate on each tool developed, and provide tips for future initiatives seeking to improve the practical application of ethics codes. We also present an example of how our tools were utilised during an African Vaccine Regulatory Forum (AVAREF) training session and provide a resource bank to support the integration of our materials into ethics training programmes.