Each module begins with specification of the aim and the learning outcomes. The materials are suitable for self-study as well as for the creation of teaching units and are also available as downloadable PDFs.

There are three different levels of materials:

Stage 1  is an introduction to basics  of the areas of research ethics and research integrity. These modules are designed for students and researchers.

Stage 2 modules focus on four emerging technologies: AI in healthcare, gene editing, biobanking, and extended reality. There are two modules for each of these technologies; the first focuses on the technology basics, and the second deals with ethics issues related to that technology. The technology basics modules are designed for anyone who is interested in learning more about the technology. The technology ethics issues modules are designed for students, researchers and research ethics reviewers who wish to explore the research ethics issues that may arise in studies involving these technologies.

The final set of modules are six case studies. These have been designed to complement the technology modules and deepen learning by presenting research proposals for studies that involve one or more of the emerging technologies. Users of these modules are asked to imagine that they are assessing the proposal for ethics approval and reflect on the decisions they might make.

Users of the materials are encouraged to tailor their choices of which modules to study according to their learning needs. For example, someone new to research might start with the Stage 1 introduction to research ethics and integrity, while an experienced research ethics reviewer might start with the Stage 2 technology modules but skip the technology basics module on any of the technologies that they are already familiar with.