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Ethical opinion form for Faculty of Business and Law (BAL) taught undergraduate and postgraduate students (except MRes)

Instructions to student

This form should be completed by the student, referring to the Guidance Notes to accompany this form and the ‘Research ethics – issues to consider’ guide (also to be found as an appendix to the Guidance Notes). If you are not collecting primary data or data that are identifiable with individuals, then you should answer Qs 1-4, then Q11 and as many of the questions between Qs 12-20 as are relevant in your case. The completed form should then be passed to the supervisor prior to a review of the possible ethical implications of the proposed dissertation or project. Students should read the guidance that accompanies this form to help them complete it.

No primary data collection or recruitment of potential participants must be undertaken before a final version of this form has been approved.

If, following review of this form, amendments to the proposals are agreed to be necessary, the student should provide the supervisor with an amended version for endorsement.

If, following the completion of the review process, your supervisor and, where relevant, any independent reviewer is unwilling to grant you a favourable ethical opinion, you have a right of appeal to BAL Faculty Ethics Committee. If you wish to exercise this right, email the Faculty Ethics Administrator (email address available from your supervisor), stating your name, HEMIS no., the relevant unit and course, and briefly stating your grounds for requesting that BAL Faculty Ethics Committee review the decision. Attach your completed ethics form and any supplementary documentation and include any relevant correspondence about the case.

A final signed and dated version of this form must be bound in to however many copies of the dissertation you are required to hand in. The form MUST be signed and dated by both the student, the supervisor and, where required, any peer ethics reviewer. If the dissertation is submitted without a fully completed, signed and dated ethics form it will be deemed to be a fail. Second attempt assessment may be permitted by the Board of Examiners.

 

  1. What are the objectives of the dissertation / research project?

 

 

  1. Does the research involve NHS patients, resources or staff? YES / NO (please delete as applicable).

If YES, it is likely that full ethical review must be obtained from the NHS process before the research can start. Please discuss your proposal with your Supervisor and/or Course Leader and consult the Guidance Notes for this ethics form.

 

 

  1. Does the research involve MoD staff? YES / NO (please delete as applicable).

If YES, then ethical review may need to be undertaken by MoD REC.  Please discuss your proposal with your Supervisor and/or Course Leader and consult the Guidance Notes for this ethics form.

 

 

  1. Do you intend to collect primary data from human subjects or data that are identifiable with individuals? (This includes, for example, questionnaires and interviews.) YES / NO (please delete as applicable)

If you do not intend to collect such primary data then please go to question 11.

If you do intend to collect such primary data then please respond to ALL the questions from Q5 onwards. If you feel a question does not apply then please respond with ‘n/a’ (for ‘not applicable’).

 

 

5        How will the primary data contribute to the objectives of the dissertation / research project?

 

 

  1. What is/are the survey population(s)?

 

 

  1. a) How big is the sample for each of the survey populations, and b) how was this sample arrived at? (Please answer both parts of this question.)

 

 

  1. How will respondents be a) recruited and b) selected? (Please answer both parts of this question.)

 

 

  1. What steps are proposed to ensure that the requirements of informed consent will be met for those taking part in the research? If an Information Sheet for participants is to be used, please attach it to this form. If not, please explain how you will be able to demonstrate that informed consent has been gained from participants.

 

 

  1. How will data be collected from each of the sample groups?

 

 

  1. a) How will data be stored and b) what will happen to the data at the end of the research? (Please answer both parts of this question.)

 

 

  1. What measures will be taken to prevent unauthorised persons gaining access to the data, and especially to data that may be attributed to identifiable individuals?

 

 

  1. What steps are proposed to safeguard the anonymity of the respondents?

 

 

  1. Are there any risks (physical or other, including reputational) to respondents that may result from taking part in this research? YES / NO (please delete as applicable).

If YES, please specify and state what measures are proposed to deal with these risks.

 

 

  1. Are there any risks (physical or other, including reputational) to the researcher or to the University that may result from conducting this research? YES / NO (please delete as applicable).

If YES, please specify and state what measures are proposed to manage these risks.

 

 

  1. Will any data be obtained from a company or other organisation? YES / NO (please delete as applicable) For example, information provided by an employer or its employees.

If NO, then please go to question 19.

 

 

  1. What steps are proposed to ensure that the requirements of informed consent will be met for that organisation? How will confidentiality be assured for the organisation?

 

 

  1. Does the organisation have its own ethics procedure relating to the research you intend to carry out? YES / NO (please delete as applicable).

If YES, the University will require written evidence from the organisation that they have approved the research.

 

 

  1. Will the proposed research involve any of the following (please put a √ next to ‘yes’ or ‘no’; consult your supervisor if you are unsure):
             
• Vulnerable groups (e.g. children and adults unable to consent)? YES     NO  
             
• Particularly sensitive topics? YES     NO  
             
• Access to respondents via ‘gatekeepers’? YES     NO  
             
• Use of deception? YES     NO  
             
• Access to confidential personal data (names, addresses, etc)? YES     NO  
             
• Psychological stress, anxiety, etc.? YES     NO  
             
• Intrusive interventions? YES     NO  

 

If answers to any of the above are “YES”, please explain below how you intend to minimise the associated risks.

 

 

 

 

  1. Are there any other ethical issues that may arise from the proposed research?

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Print name Signature Date signed
Student      
I / we grant a favourable ethical opinion:
Supervisor      
Peer reviewer (where applicable)      

 

AMENDMENTS

If you need to make changes please ensure you have permission before recruiting any participants and any primary data collection. If there are major changes, fill in a new form if that will make it easier for everyone. If there are minor changes then fill in the amendments (next page) and get them signed before the primary data collection begins.

 

CHANGES TO ETHICS PERMISSION

 

VERSION:  ____

Please describe the nature of the change and impact on ethics:

 

 

 

 

  Print name Signature Date signed
Student      
I / we grant a favourable ethical opinion:
Supervisor      
Peer reviewer (where applicable)      

 

 

 

(please cut and paste the next section, together with the heading at the top of this page, as many times as required)

VERSION:  ____

Please describe the nature of the change and impact on ethics:

 

 

 

 

 

  Print name Signature Date signed
Student      
I / we grant a favourable ethical opinion:
Supervisor      
Peer reviewer (where applicable)