Ethics Application Guidelines for Researchers at University of Portsmouth, Exercises of Psychology

Download Ethics Application Guidelines for Researchers at University of Portsmouth and more Exercises Psychology in PDF only on Docsity! SCCJ Ethics Committee St George’s Building, 141 High St, Portsmouth PO1 2HY Application for Ethical Review Undergraduates, Masters and Prof Doc (ART) Researchers DO NOT OBTAIN INFORMED CONSENT FROM PARTICIPANTS OR COLLECT DATA UNTIL YOU OBTAIN ETHICAL APPROVAL AND THE AGREEMENT OF YOUR SUPERVISOR. Application forms must be submitted in WORD format so that the Committee can record decisions on the form. Applications submitted in PDF or Google docs will not be reviewed. RED TEXT DENOTES GUIDANCE NOTES. PLEASE ENSURE THIS IS ALL DELETED PRIOR TO SUBMITTING THIS FORM TO THE SCCJ ETHICS COMMITTEE. Who should complete this application form? This application form is for the use of any undergraduate, masters or ProfDoc (ART) researcher, who intends to conduct a study which includes significant ethical issues. Examples include research involving human participants, confidential data that belongs to organisations, field data that collects observations, security sensitive data and toxic data on the Internet. Who does not need to complete this application form? You do not have to apply for an ethical review if your research is based on a literature review or uses non- sensitive, non-toxic data that is in the public domain. 1. Study Title and Key Dates 1.1 Title Insert title of study - ensure that titles are consistent across all documentation. 1.2 Key Dates Date of submission: The date you submit this form Version number: Initially this will be version 1, but may need updating after ethics review Intended start date of data collection: It is safest to allow at least three weeks to a month for the ethics review Projected finish date of data collection: 2. Applicant Details 2.1 Student researcher Student name: Student number: Email: Title of course of study: BSc / MSc / ProfDoc (ART): Full time/part time/distance learning: - - - Ethics application number: To be filled out by reviewer 2.2 Supervisor Name: Telephone: Email: Copy your supervisor on the email submitting this form to the SCCJ Ethics Committee. Ensure you have their approval before this form is submitted, as they are ultimately responsible for the work. 3. Place of Research 3.1 Research location Provide addresses or description of where the work will take place. Please note if the intention is to conduct fieldwork or visit participants the relevant university policies need to be referenced and adhered to. 3.2 Insurance – delete as appropriate Standard insurance The UoP insurance team has been contacted by my supervisor The UoP team will be contacted by my supervisor The University of Portsmouth holds a number of Insurance Policies that aim to cover the normal educational, research and trading needs of the University. This includes research sponsored, managed, designed or conducted by, or on behalf of, the University. This includes research undertaken by students under supervision provided ethical approval has been provided. Some research activities may need to be reviewed by the University Insurance Officer and referred to the University’s Insurers before the research can commence. For example:  Use of toxic or dangerous materials or pollutants.  Overseas travel for research.  Higher risk fieldwork. In such cases, or if in doubt, your supervisor should contact insurancesupport@port.ac.uk. Indicate here if the UoP insurance team has or will be contacted. 2 SCCJ Ethics Form Version 5 with guidance, July 2021 other staff, the public, facilities and the environment. Security risks: implications for national security, terrorism etc. Other risks: describe any other risks not covered in 6.1 and 6.2. 7. Recruitment of Participants 7.1 Research participants/sample Please describe your research population clearly – the population is the group comprising the source of potential participants, e.g. all UK adults, police officers, victims of fraud, security managers. You should give an indication of the size of the total population. What is your sample size? Please also state your inclusion/exclusion criteria for your sample, e.g. gender, age, occupation, experience. Population: Sample size: Inclusion criteria: Exclusion criteria: 7.2 Recruitment strategy (invitation plans, gatekeeper arrangements, expenses) Explain clearly the steps you will take to recruit your participants. How will you find them, how will you contact them, how will you invite them, what information will you provide them? Append the text of your invitation letter / email / social media posting / advert / poster to the end of this form. 5 SCCJ Ethics Form Version 5 with guidance, July 2021 Do you intend using an organisation or a person as a gatekeeper? How will you find gatekeepers, what information will you give them, what do you want them to do? If you intend to use any pool of student volunteers note the: special permission must be sought from the Student Survey Group for surveys involving over 250 students or more than one department. Requests to conduct such surveys should be emailed to surveyrequests@port.ac.uk. If you are intending to collect organisational data that is not available to the public, you should treat the organisation as a participant. Avoid offering any expenses (e.g. travel, meals) unless it is absolutely necessary. Avoid offering small tokens of appreciation. However, if you feel it is necessary, first discuss it with your supervisor and explain your intention here. 7.3 What is the process for gaining consent from participants? This section should be used to address issues relating to the consent of individual participants; if you need the consent of any organisation, please address this in 7.4 below. Please give an overview of the approach you will use to gain consent. How will you distribute the study information? How long will you give participants to consider the information before asking them to consent? Will you explain the research and seek consent in person? The Consent Form is usually required (except for anonymous online surveys) – you will find a template and further guidance here. However, some participants, particularly experts, are keen to assist with research but reluctant to provide written consent; in this case you should explain how you intend to gain and record consent. If you are intending to record an interview you might choose to record the oral consent of the participant – if you wish to do this you must append the script you will use to this application. Consent must be ‘informed’ by the provision of a Participant Information Sheet (except for anonymous online surveys) – you will find a template and further guidance here. You must always make sure that any potential participant is fully informed before signing the consent form or providing oral consent to participate in the study. 6 SCCJ Ethics Form Version 5 with guidance, July 2021 Will you be providing any feedback to participants? If so you will probably need consent to use their contact details for this purpose. Anonymous online surveys do not need separate information sheets and consent forms. The risks are reduced because they are anonymous. The participant information is brief to minimise participant drop out and there is only one consent question, which is configured to force a response to ensure a positive opt-in. If you intend to recruit more than one discrete group of participants in your study, you will need to provide information sheets and consent forms for each group. If you intend using more than one method (e.g. survey and interviews), append separate documents for each method. Add all participant documents to this application form as appendices. 7.4 How will consent be gained from organisations involved? If you intend to conduct your research in any external organisation, name the organisation(s) or describe the organisation(s). You will also need to include information regarding use of any data belonging to organisations that is not in the public domain. Explain how the organisation will be involved in the research. Append your invitation and any information you intend sending to the organisation. In some cases a record of formal consent is required, in others, a confirmatory letter or email is sufficient. If you have already obtained an indication from an organisation that it is willing to be involved, please append the communication. Do not obtain formal consent from an organisation until you have obtained ethical approval. Research with Hampshire Constabulary If you are planning on doing research with the Hampshire Constabulary (HC) or recruiting participants from HC, read the HC advice on Moodle. Confirm here that you have contacted HC. 1. Make sure you have already had an initial conversation with Ellie Bird at research.requests@hampshire.pnn.police.uk before submitting your ethics. Ellie will advise you about the 7 SCCJ Ethics Form Version 5 with guidance, July 2021 involves one. 8. Research Data Management 8.1 Where and how will data be stored during the project? Provide details of data storage arrangements. Secure storage of personal and confidential organisational information is essential. Paper documents that identify participants should be digitised, e.g. consent forms. During the project, the identifiable digital data can be stored temporarily on encrypted devices, e.g. laptops. The data should be transferred to a dedicated folder on your UoP Google Drive as soon as possible. It should then be deleted from all other devices. Any audio or video recordings should be transcribed and all recordings erased as possible. 8.2 Destruction, retention and reuse of data after completion Describe plans for data destruction, retention and reuse. The easiest way to deal with the raw data after successful completion of your dissertation is to completely destroy it, erasing it from your Google Drive folder and all devices. Data might be retained for future research, if you intend to do this please give an explanation here. Participants (including organisations) should provide consent for identifiable or anonymised data to be used for future ethically approved research. See Moodle guidance under Data Management and Archiving. 8.3 Security sensitive data management (if applicable) Some research requires access to security sensitive data. There is specific UoP guidance that you must follow. It is important for the University to be aware of access to any security sensitive documents, for example terrorist manuals, so that police or other enquiries can be addressed. Whilst it is lawful to hold such material for research purposes it would be unlawful to pass it on to other individuals or organisations. It is possible that the SCCJ Ethics Committee may pass such research may to the Faculty Ethics Committee for scrutiny. Ensure you have consulted with your supervisor regarding this possibility. 10 SCCJ Ethics Form Version 5 with guidance, July 2021 9. Publication / impact / dissemination plans (if applicable) Please add any publication plans here, e.g. journal articles. If you intend publishing your research, you should carefully consider your data management plans as the University’s policy is to make both publications and research data open access on the ‘Pure’ database system unless there is a good justification not to. This is now a formal requirement for all journal articles and articles published in conference proceedings. 10. List of Appendices In addition to the completed application form you must append all other relevant documents at the end of this form. Templates, including further guidance, are provided for letters of invitation to participants, participant information sheets, consent forms and online surveys. If you intend to undertake interviews you must provide a draft list of the questions or a broad topic list. These questions may evolve after ethical approval under the guidance of your supervisor. Draft survey questionnaires should be presented in full, including the introduction and debrief. Survey questions may also evolve after ethical approval under the guidance of your supervisor. If you have evidence of any peer or other independent review of your research you should append it to the application. SUBMIT THIS APPLICATION FORM AND APPENDICES AS A SINGLE WORD DOCUMENT (not as a PDF) Complete the table below, providing a list of all the documents appended to this application. It is essential that this is accurate. Please make any necessary deletions or additions to the table. Document Date Version No. Application Form Invitation Letter Participant Information Sheet(s) and debrief (list if necessary) Consent Form(s) (list if necessary) Advertisement 11 SCCJ Ethics Form Version 5 with guidance, July 2021 Supervisor Email Confirming Application Or Signature On This Form Evidence From External Organisation Showing Support Letter From Host Organisation Survey Instrument/Questionnaire Interview Questions / Topic List / Schedule Focus Group Questions / Topic List / Schedule Script for Oral Consent Observational Data Collection Form Risk Assessment Form(s) Other – please describe 12 SCCJ Ethics Form Version 5 with guidance, July 2021 Approval Section - completed by the SCCJ Ethics Committee Date reviewed: .. Reviewed by: .. SCCJ EC Ethical Opinion Outcome Record Ethical approval - favourable ethical opinion You can commence data collection with the agreement of your supervisor. Conditional ethical approval - provisional favourable ethical opinion subject to requirements. The ‘Comments’ section below sets out conditional requirements, the actions you must take before you start collecting data. Once your supervisor is satisfied that you have met these requirements, you may commence data collection with their agreement. Not approved - a favourable ethical opinion cannot be provided for the proposal in its present form. You must not commence data collection. The ‘Comments’ section below will advise you what needs to be addressed. You must revise your proposal in consultation with your supervisor. Once your supervisor is satisfied that you have addressed all of the comments below, you may resubmit for ethical opinion. Ethics Committee Comments 15 SCCJ Ethics Form Version 5 with guidance, July 2021 16 SCCJ Ethics Form Version 5 with guidance, July 2021 Include all supporting documents here. 17 SCCJ Ethics Form Version 5 with guidance, July 2021