Coursera

On Being a Scientist (Coursera)

Offered by Leiden University,
On Being a Scientist (Coursera)

On Being a Scientist will provide you with an overview of scientific practice, what it means to be a scientist and allows you to become acquainted with academic conduct, thus meeting a demand for increased awareness in scientific integrity. This course is designed to inform you on topics as scientific integrity and social responsibilities of scientists. Broad questions, which are inseparably linked to these topics are discussed: namely regarding the nature of science and the societal role it fulfills.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

Course objectives:
After this course you:
1) Understand the basic principles of science, and known what is "not done".
2) Have a realistic image of science and scientists.
3) Recognize integrity dilemma's, know how to respond in clear cases, and have the skills to respond prudently in unclear cases.
4) Know and understand the differences and similarities of various disciplines.
5) Have a basic understanding of the role of science in society,realize their own societal responsibilities, and are able to take a position in societal issues where science plays a role.
The course consists of a feature film, supported by short lectures, set to serve as a starting point for the discussions and assignments.
What You Will Learn

  • How to ethically conduct yourself as an academic
  • How to weigh different priorities
  • What is plagiarism?

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Introduction
Welcome! Before you start we invite you to first go through our introduction module and introduce yourself in the forum to meet your fellow learners. If you encounter any difficulties while studying, please let us know in the forum. For technical difficulties or questions regarding the course certificate, you can always contact the Coursera Learner Helpdesk. Good luck & we hope you will enjoy this course!
What is Science?
This module discusses the nature of science, in particular the attempt by the philosopher Karl Popper to demarcate science from other kinds of knowledge. It also raises the question whether history is a science.

WEEK 2
Scientific questions
This module discusses the importance of posing the right scientific questions, as well as the nature of a good question. It also queries whether al scientific questions or research topics are allowable for an ethical point of view.
Scientific results
This module discusses the scientific publication culture. It focuses on issues like authorship, choice of journal, the review process and citation scores as markers of scientific quality.

WEEK 3
Scientific activities
This module questions the notion of a single scientific method. It also discusses such issues as publication bias, confirmation bias and questionable research practices.
Academic differences
This module discusses some differences between different academic disciplines. Apart from studying different subjects, using different methods, disciplines are also characterised by specific cultures (e.g. values, presuppositions and habits).

WEEK 4
Academic careers
This module discusses the different stages of an academic career and some of the major hurdles an aspiring academic may encounter.
Scientific misconduct
This module discusses the three main types of scientific misconduct or fraud: plagiarism, and the falsification and fabrication of research data.

WEEK 5
Science & the industry
This module discusses the benefits and dangers of collaborations between science and industry.
Science & society
This module discusses the social responsibilities of scientists, as well as the question whether in certain cases social activism is a possible or even proper stance for scientists.

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Professional Responsibility and Ethics for Accountants (Coursera) Coursera
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Professional Responsibility and Ethics for Accountants (Coursera)

Business

Accountants perform a wide variety of activities which include, but are not limited to, accounting, auditing, tax, management consulting, and financial management. However, a professional accountant’s responsibility is not exclusively to satisfy the needs of an employer or professional services client. One of the distinguishing characteristics of the accounting profession is its acceptance of the responsibility to act in the public interest.

Sep 14th 2026
4 Weeks
Business Management Ethics
Details
Foundations of Health Equity Research (Coursera) Coursera
Johns Hopkins University

Foundations of Health Equity Research (Coursera)

Health & Society

Introduces students to the core principles of health equity research. Covers topics such as defining health equity, engaging community and policy stakeholders, patient-centeredness, cultural competence, and dissemination of research findings. Content will recognize different geographic, cultural, and social contexts where health inequities occur.

Sep 14th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Health Epidemiology Research Methods
Details
Studying Cities: Social Science Methods for Urban Research (Coursera) Coursera
Erasmus University Rotterdam

Studying Cities: Social Science Methods for Urban Research (Coursera)

Education Social Sciences

Are you looking to learn more about how to conduct scientific research, specifically in an urban or local context? Then you have found the right course: Studying Cities: Social Science Methods for Urban Research by the Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS), Erasmus University Rotterdam. During the course you will gain more insight in the different steps of the research cycle, and build a firm foundation for your own future research endeavors.

Sep 14th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Research Methods Social Sciences Research
Details
Philosophy, Science and Religion: Philosophy and Religion (Coursera) Coursera
University of Edinburgh

Philosophy, Science and Religion: Philosophy and Religion (Coursera)

Humanities

Philosophy, Science and Religion mark three of the most fundamental modes of thinking about the world and our place in it. Are these modes incompatible? Put another way: is the intellectually responsible thing to do to ‘pick sides’ and identify with one of these approaches at the exclusion of others? Or, are they complementary or mutually supportive? As is typical of questions of such magnitude, the devil is in the details. For example, it is important to work out what is really distinctive about each of these ways of inquiring about the world. In order to gain some clarity here, we’ll be investigating what some of the current leading thinkers in philosophy, science and religion are actually doing.

Sep 14th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Science Philosophy Mind
Details
Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (Coursera) Coursera
Politecnico di Milano

Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (Coursera)

Robotics & Computer Vision

This course deals with the problems created, aggravated or transformed by AI. It is intended to give students a chance to reflect on the ethical, social, and cultural impact of AI by focusing on the issues faced by and brought about by professionals in AI but also by citizens, institutions and societies. The course addresses these topics by means of case studies and examples analyzed in the light of the main ethical frameworks.

Sep 14th 2026
4 Weeks
Artificial Intelligence Ethics AI
Details
Introduction to Philosophy (Coursera) Coursera
University of Edinburgh

Introduction to Philosophy (Coursera)

Humanities

This course will introduce you to some of the main areas of research in contemporary philosophy. Each module a different philosopher will talk you through some of the most important questions and issues in their area of expertise. We’ll begin by trying to understand what philosophy is – what are its characteristic aims and methods, and how does it differ from other subjects? Then we’ll spend the rest of the course gaining an introductory overview of several different areas of philosophy.

Sep 7th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Philosophy Metaphysics Epistemology
Details
Re-imaging God in Korean Context (Coursera) Coursera
Yonsei University

Re-imaging God in Korean Context (Coursera)

Humanities

This course will be an overview of a development of the theological methods in relation to Korea’s cultural context. Completing the course, the learners can understand cultural influences on the dynamic development of Korean churches and indigenous theology; they can also gain an insight into their own image of God and theological imagination in their own cultural context.

Sep 14th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Philosophy Culture Psychoanalytic
Details
Søren Kierkegaard - Subjectivity, Irony and the Crisis of Modernity (Coursera) Coursera
University of Copenhagen

Søren Kierkegaard - Subjectivity, Irony and the Crisis of Modernity (Coursera)

Humanities

In this course created by former associate professor at the Søren Kierkegaard Research Centre, Jon Stewart, we will explore how Kierkegaard deals with the problems associated with relativism, the lack of meaning and the undermining of religious faith that are typical of modern life. His penetrating analyses are still highly relevant today and have been seen as insightful for the leading figures of Existentialism, Post-Structuralism and Post-Modernism.

Sep 14th 2026
5-12 Weeks
History Philosophy Crisis
Details
De-Mystifying Mindfulness (Coursera) Coursera
Leiden University

De-Mystifying Mindfulness (Coursera)

Health & Society Personal and Professional Development

Interest in meditation, mindfulness, and contemplation has grown exponentially in recent years. Rather than being seen as mystical practices from ancient Buddhism or esoteric philosophy, they are increasingly seen as technologies rooted in evidence from psychology and neuroscience. Mindfulness has become the basis for numerous therapeutic interventions, both as a treatment in healthcare and as a means of enhancing well-being and happiness. For millions around the world, mindfulness has become a life-style choice, enhancing and enriching everyday experience. Mindfulness is big business.

Sep 14th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Philosophy Psychology Ethics
Details
Constructivism and Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education (Coursera) Coursera
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Constructivism and Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education (Coursera)

Education

This course is designed to help participants examine the implications of constructivism for learning and teaching in science, mathematics, and technology focused areas. Course readings, discussions, and assignments will examine constructivist views of learning, research on students' ideas and idea-based interactions, research on instructional approaches taking student ideas into account, and challenges in implementing constructivist perspectives in instruction.

Sep 14th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Science Education Technology
Details
Structuring Values in Modern China (Coursera) Coursera
The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Structuring Values in Modern China (Coursera)

Humanities History

This sequence of four courses will propose a multi-disciplinary approach to the study of Chinese cultural history conceived of as a succession of modes of rationality (philosophical, bureaucratic, and economic). The focus will be on the moments of paradigm shift from one mode of rationality to another. For each of these moments, cultural facts and artifacts—thought, literature, ritual—will be examined in relationship to changing social, political, and economic systems.

Sep 14th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Science History China
Details