Research ethics

On this page:

Welcome to the School of Geography’s Research Ethics Webpages


Dear Visitor,
Welcome to the School’s Research Ethics Webpages. The aim of these pages is to help inform you about what Research Ethics are, why you should be interested in them, and how to go about making a successful and stress free application for ethical approval for the research you are undertaking.

 What are Research Ethics and why do they matter?
Research in the social and physical sciences often involves investigating the actions of individuals and their interactions with others and their environment under varying conditions. This may involve a variety of techniques: you may, for example, wish to interview them, observe them, test their reaction times, even subject their bodies to different physiological or psychological tests. It is important to remember that it would be impossible for you to conduct your research, and in the process improve your own knowledge and expertise and further your own career without the willing involvement of your research participants. Therefore one of your primary concerns should be to consider and to protect their welfare whist they are taking part in your study.

Research methodologies (interviewing, observation, testing etc) always constitute an intervention – in both the lives of the research subject and the researcher. In other words they alter what would normally be occurring in their lives. Some of the important roles of ethical review then are to:

  • assess what impact these interventions might have on the lives of both the research participants and the researcher
  • to consider whether any of these impacts might be adverse – that is, detrimental to the welfare of research participant or researcher in some way
  • to consider whether there might be any circumstances in which the generation of an adverse effect might be justified for a wider benefit (where for example, it might be necessary to induce nausea in a subject to test a new sea sickness remedy, or to talk about something distressing such as being a political prisoner in order to better understand how oppressive regimes operate)
  • to ensure that the researcher has fully considered all the implications of their research and developed appropriate strategies for a) limiting, as far as possible, the adverse effects of their research and b) maximising the potential of their research.

Top

 What if ethical review doesn't apply to my research?
In some cases the impacts of the research will be very small and not adverse – in other words, carry very few risks for the research participant or the researcher. In other cases it may be evident that the risks are quite high, OR, it may be that there are some risks involved that may be quite serious, even if they are not immediately apparent.

Some indicators of what is considered to be ‘higher risk research’ ‘low risk’; and very minimal risk’ are provided here for your guidance.

In this School of Geography we are implementing a new system for helping research applicants to assess the risks that might be involved in undertaking their research projects. The aim of this Ethical Review Assessment (ERA) is to help researchers to think through and identify what the risks of their research are, and how they might minimise them, and, in the process, improve the quality of the research they are producing.

All researchers should undertake this process of ethical review not simply because they are now obliged to, but rather because they want to safeguard both the welfare of their research participants (including themselves) and the quality of their research.

It may be the case that you are undertaking research (such as reviews of archival material or geological surveys) that appears to have no ethical implications or risks. Even if this is the case it is still important that you carry out the assessment exercise for two reasons: firstly, the form will provide a documentary record that establishes that there are no ethical implications to your research and secondly, as completing the exercise may help you to identify any potential ethical implications even if they are not immediately apparent.

In order to undertake this assessment please now go to the appropriate section of this site for you. It is very important that you understand before you complete this exercise that the assessment will produce a documentary record of the ethical implications and risks associated with your research based on the information you give.

You are reminded that if you answer the questions honestly and secure the appropriate approvals to undertake the research your liabilities will be covered by the University’s research liability insurance. If, however, you falsify information on this form or change the nature of your research without revising this form and securing appropriate ethical approvals your liability insurance for the research may be invalidated. This ethical review assessment will be stored electronically for a number of years as a record of your ethical obligations in regard to this research project.

Top

 Academic Staff, Research Fellows, PhD students, Administrators and Technicians.
All undergraduate and Masters students are now required to undertake their Ethical Review Assessment (ERA) online as part of their requirements for their courses.

At present no such facility is available for academic staff, research fellows, PhD students, Administrators and Technicians. Therefore we ask that you review the ethical review assessment document. If you are able to answer no to all of these questions and are genuinely confident that your research is low-risk, then please print out this form, fill it in, sign it and hand it to your School Ethics Advisor who will keep a copy on file. You are reminded that if you falsify statements on this form you may invalidate the liability insurance for researchers offered by QMUL. You are also reminded that if the nature of your research changes during the term of its commission such that new risks do emerge it is your obligation as the researcher to revisit the ethical review procedure on this site and to resubmit new forms where appropriate. To fail to do so may, again, invalidate your right to liability insurance offered by QMUL.

Ethical Review Assessment: sign-off document [PDF 153 KB]

Please note the above document is not for use by undergraduate or Masters students, who must complete the assessment online via Blackboard.


Top

 Undergraduate and Masters Students
All undergraduate students in geography at QMUL undertake research for their Independent Geographical Study or PES. As a consequence of this it is necessary for every second year student to begin the process of thinking about the ethical implications of their research and the impacts that conducting the research may have on both the research participants and you, the researcher. Masters students also undertake research for their dissertations and must also consider the ethical implications of their research.

To help you to assess these implications and risks undergraduate and Masters students are required to complete a questionnaire about the nature of their research online. This will be undertaken as an Ethical Review Assessment (ERA). This assessment is not graded, but is compulsory. It must be completed before you will be allowed to submit your research proposal at the end of the second year if you are undergraduate or, to commence your fieldwork, if you are a Master’s student. If you do not complete the ERA online you will not be allowed to commence your research for your dissertation, IGS or PES.

Top

 Completing the ERA honestly
It is very important that you complete the ERA honestly. It may be the case that you want to conduct some research that is considered to be high risk – for example with a group (such as children or people with HIV) who are particularly vulnerable and whose welfare must be carefully safeguarded. It may also be the case that you want to undertake research with individuals (such as those who are involved in gang violence) that may endanger you as the researcher. It is important that we be able to identify when your research poses risks or has serious ethical implications for you and or your research subjects. If you think your research might fall into one of these categories please identify those risks by answering yes when asked such questions on the form. If you do answer yes to questions on this form it doesn’t mean that there is any problem with your research or that you will not be allowed to carry out the research. Rather, it means that there are risks and ethical implications to your research that are significant and that you will probably need help to address.

Top

 High Risk Research
If your research is identified as being ‘high risk’ you will need to have it assessed by a by the QMUL or NHS research ethics committees. If your project is deemed to require NRES ethical review (this is required for any research that involves an NHS sites, staff, patients, or their medical records) you will need to contact your School Ethical Advisor (Dr. Bronwyn Parry) who will help you prepare a formal application. The site for NRES application is http://www.nres.npsa.nhs.uk/ If you are a Master’s student go to the site and read the information offered there, print out and have a first detailed attempt at filling out the ethical review application form before arranging to meet the School ethics advisor. If you are an undergraduate do not attempt to fill out the form rather make an appointment to meet with the School Ethics Advisor (Dr. Bronwyn Parry) who will help you to complete and submit the application. Allow a good deal of time for this to occur as the process can be very involved taking several months to complete.

If you are either an undergraduate or Master’s student and your Ethical Review Assessment reveals that your research is ‘high risk’ or you already know that your research will pose some risks that need a higher level of assessment but is not NHS related please go the QMUL Research Ethics Website Here you will find information, advice and applications forms for having your research proposal reviewed by the QMUL REC. Print the application form out and have a first attempt at filling it in before arranging to meet with Dr. Parry to discuss further preparation and submission of the application. Again, allow sufficient time to complete this process – at least six weeks.

You should not be deterred from undertaking the research you want to just because it may require more detailed ethical review. It is imperative however that you contact Dr. Parry as soon as possible if this is the case as these applications can take quite some time to prepare and the process must be started as soon as possible.

The ERA forms will be held on WEB CT for two years while you complete your research. It is vital that you understand that the answers to the questions you provide on this online form will create a documentary record of your assessment of the risks involved in your research. It is therefore imperative that you answer these questions honestly. If you do not you may invalidate the insurance that indemnifies research conducted by members of QMUL leaving you open to legal liabilities.

You are also reminded that if the nature of your research changes during the term of its commission such that new risks do emerge it is your obligation as the researcher to revisit the ethical review procedure on this site and to resubmit new forms where appropriate. To fail to do so may, again, void your right to liability insurance offered by QMUL. The forms will remain online under WEB CT in your third year and are available to be revised at any time. They will also provide a searchable record of what you agreed the nature of your research would be.

Top

 Letters of Invitation and Information Sheets
Even if your research is assessed as low risk you still have some important obligations to your research participants. In order to protect their and your interests you must sign the statement at the bottom of the Ethical Review Assessment that confirms that you, as the researcher has already, or will before commencing the research, provide the participants with a letter of invitation and information sheet that:

  • Fully briefs the participants about the aims of the study
  • Informs the participants that they have a right to withdraw from the study at any time without penalty
  • Informs the participant that they have the right to ask questions both before, during and after participation
  • Includes a confirmation of the participants’ explicit consent to participate in the study
  • Includes (where appropriate) a confirmation that the information derived from the study will be stored anonymously OR a confirmation of the participants’ consent to store personally identifying information
  • Includes a confirmation that information derived from the study (including quotes from interviews) will not be attributable to individual participants OR a confirmation of the participants’ consent to the use of this information in publication in a partially or fully attributable form
  • Includes a statement about how long the information from the study will be held for, under what conditions, and when it will be destroyed
  • Includes the researcher’s contact details
  • Includes a statement that the research will be covered by the QMUL liability scheme (where applicable)

Top

 Your legal responsibilities
The ERA provides a documentary record of your agreement to put these protections in place – you MUST NOT agree that you will put these protections in place if you then fail to do so. If you do this you risk invalidating the insurance that indemnifies research conducted by members of QMUL leaving you open to legal liabilities.

This letter of invitation and information must then be stored in your files and be available for inspection on request.

Please now proceed to the Web CT online area for the modules GEG5103 Geographical Research in Practice II; GEG5211 Research Strategies in Physical Environments; GEG7107 Dissertation or GEG7113 Social Science Research Methods and Methodologies and complete the online Ethical Review Exercise. When you have completed this exercise print out your result and take it to your tutor or supervisor when it is requested of you. This exercise is not assessed (e.g you do not receive a grade for it) but it must be completed before you will be allowed to commence your empirical research or fieldwork. ALLOW ADEQUATE TIME TO COMPLETE THIS ETHICAL REVIEW EXERCISE DO NOT LEAVE IT UNTIL THE LAST MOMENT!!

Good luck with your ethical review! If you do have any further questions please contact your School Ethics Advisor: Dr. Bronwyn Parry.