The University of Sheffield
The School of Education

School of Education Ethical Review Policy

ETHICS PROCEDURES FOR STAFF AND STUDENT RESEARCH IN THE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

Aim

The Ethics Review Panel aims:
`To ensure that research in the School is carried out to the highest ethical standards and in conformity with the University´s Research Ethics Policy´

Objectives

  1. To develop and maintain procedures for the ethical review of all research carried out by staff and students in the School of Education, in line with University procedures and regulations
  2. To ensure that procedures for ethical review are understood and followed by all staff and students
  3. To support staff in ensuring that their research is ethically reviewed
  4. To support staff in ensuring that the work of their students is ethically reviewed
  5. To monitor procedures and practices in the ethical reviewing of research in the School of Education and to report annually to the Head of School and the University Ethical Review Panel
  6. To monitor the ethical conduct of research in the School of Education and to report as necessary to the Head of School

Policy

All research in the School of Education which involves human participants is subject to ethical review. The intention of the procedures for staff and student research is to facilitate a process which establishes awareness of the highest standards in ethical practice in educational research and to ensure that all staff and students planning to undertake any research project give consideration to the ethical issues that might arise while undertaking research. Ethical Review within the School of Education is carried out using the forms in the box headed `Forms´:

The School of Education procedures for Ethical Review of Research conform to the principles of the University´s Code of Practice on Research Ethics http://www.shef.ac.uk/ris/other/gov-ethics/ and the British Educational Research Association Guidelines [http://www.bera.ac.uk/files/guidelines/ethica1.pdf]. All research related data must also be handled in a manner compliant with the Data Protection Act.

Procedures

The Chair of the Ethics Review Panel shall ensure that:

  1. Procedures for the ethical review of research by a) students and b) staff in the School of Education are set up in accordance with University Procedures.
  2. Staff are aware of their role in ethically reviewing research proposals
  3. Staff receive necessary training in ethical review procedures so that they can take on ethical reviews as necessary and appropriate
  4. All PGT and PGR students receive necessary teaching in ethical reviews procedures
  5. The School of Education Ethics Review Panel is convened at least twice each year
  6. An annual report of the activity of the SoE ERP is presented to the Head of School
  7. The Ethics administrator maintains records of the ethical reviewing of all research proposals
  8. Relevant University committees are reported to as necessary

The School of Education Ethics Review Panel will consist of:

Chair ERP
Ethics Administrator
Ethics Secretary

Director of Teaching and Learning
Director PGCE
CRB officer
Director for Research
Director of Teaching Quality - Institute of Life Long Learning TILL
Staff Development Officer
Teaching Quality Coordinator - Department of Educational Studies
Director Research Degrees

Staff and students planning to undertake a new piece of research must consider ethical issues and consult the guidelines at an early stage. The Director of Research in the School of Education, other members of the Research Committee and members of the Ethics Review Panel will be pleased to discuss ethical elements of the proposed study at an early stage. In the first instance, students should consult their tutors.

Staff must obtain ethical approval for research proposals before submitting proposals to funding bodies (ESRC proposals are excepted). Students must have their proposals ethically reviewed before they commence empirical studies involving human participants. Tutors will give specific guidance tailored to particular modules of assessment. To have research ethically reviewed the appropriate forms in the forms box should be used:

Staff should send their ER forms electronically, to the ethics secretary (EA) Email: c.woodward@shef.ac.uk

The EA (in consultation with the Chair of the Ethics Review Panel) will send it out to three reviewers. All members of academic staff in the School of Education may be asked to undertake ethical review of colleagues´ and students´ research. Reviewers will complete the appropriate the appropriate Ethical Reviewer´s Comments form within two weeks of receipt. This timescale will ensure the smooth running of research within the School and avoid undue delays.

Students will use the same forms as staff for ethical review and should submit their applications for ethical review of their research to their programme secretary. Students must have authorisation from their tutors before submitting their application for review.

Responses are sent to staff and where appropriate to the Chair of the Ethics Review Panel. Applicants receive a copy of the reviewers´ reports and details of any necessary changes for resubmission, or minor changes.

If there is disagreement over the recommendations of the ethics review, the Chair of the Ethics Review Panel will review the decision. At her discretion, further reviews may be undertaken or, if deemed necessary may be passed on to the University Research Ethics Committee (UREC) in line with the University procedures. The EA and programme secretaries will maintain the Ethics Review database.

Annually, in response to the UREC call, a report on all ethics scrutiny will be
produced by the Chair of the Ethics Review Panel in the School of Education.

The Ethics Review Panel will, throughout the academic year, provide support on the awareness of ethical review procedures to students.