CARES
Conflict Resolution, Accountability, Respectful Interactions, Ethics, and Supportive Environments Climate Survey

The CARES

  • Cultures are critical to the success of workplaces, and the resulting interpersonal climates are an important factor in research quality and integrity. We believe that cultures of excellence are those that facilitate their members’ ability to produce their best work.
  • Although existing work has been done to develop assessments of research integrity climate (via the SOURCE, the Survey of Organizational Research Climate), up to now, no assessment tool has existed to measure interpersonal climate, particularly as it exists within academic research-focused environments.
  • The CARES survey includes 22 question items (α=0.95), all asked on a Likert scale ranging from 1 to 5, with the following response categories: Not at All, Somewhat, Moderately, Very, and Completely. A “No basis for judging” option is also provided.
  • These questions yield four means-scored summary dimensions, one tapping Institutional Practices influencing climate, and three tapping various aspects of the work-unit climate.
  • The NCPRE analysis of the confidential survey submissions will support institutions engaged in organizational change efforts to measure their efficacy over time.
CARES survey sample
Sample dataset

The Four Scales in the CARES Climate Survey

The extent to which workgroup members engage in respectful behavior toward others.

The extent to which abusive, threatening, or verbally aggressive behaviors from leaders or mentors are part of the research environment.

The extent to which workgroup interactions reflect trust and support and members are treated equitably.

The extent to which the institution and workgroup visibly engage in prevention of offensive and inappropriate behavior and comments related to sexual misconduct.

Run the CARES at Your Institution

The CARES Climate Survey captures aspects of the working environment, particularly the composition and interpersonal dynamics of the research team, which strongly influence: 

  • what questions get asked
  • who has a voice
  • who is listened to
  • which perspectives are brought to bear on problems
  • what populations are included as subjects
  • the public perception of findings
  • what variables are considered worth investigating
  • and thus the quality of the research as a whole

For more detailed information on the procedures involved in implementing CARES at your institution, please contact us at: ethicsctr@illinois.edu

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