Curriculum
Read everything before you pay for anything
Both courses are readable in full, at no cost. Examinations are separate. Each course is versioned, and the version in force on your completion date is recorded on your credential.
RUO-L1 · Version 1.0, effective August 2026
RUO Certification Level I
The foundation of responsible independent research.
8 modules, 8 lessons, about 1 hours of reading.
- 1.What RUO Means and What Independent Research Is
- 2.The Basic Scientific Method
- 3.Basic Safety, Storage, and Contamination Awareness
- 4.Measurement Fundamentals
- 5.Documentation and Recordkeeping
- 6.Certificates of Analysis and Basic Testing Concepts
- 7.Research Versus Treatment
- 8.Basic Legal, Regulatory, and Certification Concepts
RUO-L2 · Version 1.0, effective August 2026
RUO Certification Level II
Advanced independent research principles.
7 modules, 22 lessons, about 5 hours of reading.
- 1.Research Questions, Hypotheses, and Protocols
- 2.Experimental Design, Variables, and Controls
- 3.Bias, Confounding, and Reproducibility
- 4.Advanced Recordkeeping and Data Integrity
- 5.Evidence Hierarchy and Reading the Literature
- 6.Analytical Testing in Depth
- 7.Research Ethics and the Human Subjects Framework