Ethical Approval Form for Research Projects with Human Involvement

Instructions for using the ethical approval form

If your research involves using human tissue or fluid samples or animals please DO NOT use this form. You should seek guidance from the Chair of the Faculty Research Ethics Committee (FREC) before starting your project.

All Taught Masters that include a research project or dissertation require ethical approval. Students must complete this form and discuss the likely outcome with their project supervisor. There are four possible outcomes:

1.No interaction with human beings is planned and no identifiable data on or from individuals is used.

2.Students interview individuals, carry out surveys, observe, and participate with adults who understand the research and are aware they can withdraw their participation at any time. Supervisors must ensure that the appropriate boxes in section 2 are ticked and that the student knows how to address the ethical concerns.

For projects which fall under outcome 1 or 2, this ethical application form should be signed by the student and the project supervisor. Nothing further is required; the form does not need to go to the FREC.

3.The research is with vulnerable people who may not understand the research and their role (eg children, hospital patients, people with mental health issues, subordinates in power relationships, etc). This also applies to research into illegal activities or research that could produce a risk of injury to anybody. The student / researcher must find ways to address these problems and the supervisor must be confident that these have been addressed satisfactorily.

For projects which fall under outcome 3, the ethical application form should be signed by the student and project supervisor and a copy of the review form sent to the FREC  Once the FREC accepts the review form, the student and supervisor will be notified and the student may start work on the project.

4.The research is ethically problematic.

For projects which fall under outcome 4, this ethical application form should be signed by the student and project supervisor and a copy of the review form submitted to the FREC for resolution. Once resolved, the student and supervisor will be notified and the student may start work on the project.

Once approved, the form should be submitted by the student to the relevant Blackboard Dissertation shell. A copy of the form and, where relevant, the following supporting documents, must be included in the project report (dissertation) as appendices when it is submitted for assessment.

Supporting documents (may apply to outcome 2, 3 or 4):

Outcomes that require ethical approval

·Information that will be provided to the study participants

·Participant consent form

·Other documentation as advised by the supervisory team

1. Applicant

Working title of the proposed investigation: (Abbreviations must not be used):

2. Delete ‘Yes’ or ‘No as appropriate in table below. If you answer any of the following questions with ‘Yes’, then specific ethical issues WILL be raised that MUST be addressed. You will need to explain in detail in section 3 how you will address these ethical issues, and consult your supervisor.

Has your research proposal identified any of the following research activities?

Gathering information from or/and about human beings through: interviewing, surveying, questionnaires, observation of human behaviour

Using archived data in which individuals are identifiable

Researching into illegal activities, or activities at the margins of the law

Researching into activities that have a risk of personal injury anybody.

Research that might impact on human behaviour, for example on autonomous vehicles.

Researching topics that are concerned with the following ‘sensitive research’ areas: access to web sites normally prohibited on university servers, or extremism and radicalisation, criminal activities, etc.

Are there additional factors that could give rise to ethical concerns eg communication difficulties?

3. How will the issues you have raised in response to questions 2 be addressed?

Note: you should consider the following:

·Providing participants with the full details of the objectives of the research

·Providing information appropriate for those whose first language is not English

·Voluntary participation with informed consent (through the provision of a consent form)

·Written description of involvement

·Freedom to withdraw

·Keeping appropriate records

·Signed acknowledgement and understanding by participants

·Relevant codes of conduct / guidelines

4. To which ethical codes of conduct have you referred?

Note: For the CEM Faculty these codes typically include those published by the BCS, ACM, IEEE or other applicable codes such as the code of the Social Research Association or specific funding bodies, such as the ESRC. Links to some of these codes are available on the CEM Faculty FHREC website.

1.Participants cooperation in a research project is entirely voluntary at all stages. They must not be misled when being asked for co-operation.

2.Participant anonymity must be strictly preserved. If the Participant, on request from the Researcher, has given permission for data to be passed on in a form which allows that Participant to be personally identified:

(a) the Participant must first have been told to whom the information would be supplied and the purpose for which it will be used

(b) the Researcher must ensure that the information will not be used for any non-research purpose and that the recipient of the information has agreed to conform to the requirements of any relevant Code of Practice.

3.The Researcher must take all reasonable precautions to ensure that the Participant is in no way directly harmed or adversely affected as a result of their involvement in a research project.

4.The Researcher must take special care when interviewing vulnerable people – for example children or the elderly. The Faculty ethics representative will give advice on gaining consent for studies involving vulnerable people.

5.Participants must be told (normally at the beginning of the interview) if observation techniques and/or recording equipment are used, except where these are used in a public place. If a respondent so wishes, the record or relevant section of it must be destroyed or deleted. Participant anonymity must not be infringed by the use of such methods.

6.Participants must be enabled to check, without difficulty, the identity and bona fides of the Researcher.

7.Researchers should ensure data is held securely, and follow university and legal requirements regarding data protection and data storage.