Ethics scrutiny of student
research
Bridget Egan
Ethics scrutiny of student research
‘Does student research require a lower standard of ethical scrutiny?’*
What constitutes a lower standard? Humphreys (2008)
seems to imply that anything short of full review is of a
‘lower standard’.
He identifies a ‘lack of apparent consistency between universities as to
what level of scrutiny should be given to student research’ (p143)
Is total consistency (across institutions, across disciplines,
across programmes) possible? necessary?
*Humphreys, S. (2008) ‘Does student research require a lower standard of ethical scrutiny?’ Research
Ethics Review Vol. 4 No. 4 141-146
Ethics scrutiny of student research
Why might student research be treated
differently from staff research?
a. It is ‘practice at researching’ – done in order
to learn how to research – rather than
‘practice of researching’
b. It is unlikely to be put into the public domain
c. It is done under supervision, so the
supervisor can act as PI and holds a
watching brief
Ethics scrutiny of student research
Why might student research be treated
differently from staff research?
d. The student is not the PI (but is working on the
project of a staff member)
e. There is too much - it distracts the attention of
ethics scrutiny panels from the ‘important’ projects
f. Scrutiny by ethics panels/committees takes too long
– students cannot get approval in time to do the
work within the timeframes of their courses
Ethics scrutiny of student research
Arguments for treating students in the same
way as staff
makes them examine the ethical dimensions of their
work
encourages them to consider the ‘bigger picture’.
ensures that they treat research ethics seriously
Ethics scrutiny of student research
‘You can’t stop undergraduates asking silly questions’*
If not, why not?
Don’t undergraduate (and maybe some other) students
(and their research participants) need to be protected
from their own naïvety?
In your disciplines, are there projects that students are not
permitted to consider?
*Scott, J. Rodham, K. Taylor, G & Turner-Cobb, J. (2008) “ ‘You can’t stop undergraduates asking silly
questions’: academics’ views on submission of undergraduate student projects for ethical review”
Research Ethics Review Vol 4. no.4 147-151
Ethics scrutiny of student research
Role of the supervisor:
What is or should be the role of the
supervisor?
Ethics scrutiny of student research
Levels of scrutiny: Undergraduate and MA
work done as part of (e.g.) vocational
degrees, but in particular modules which
require very small-scale collection and
analysis of data in the workplace:
a checklist to be completed and handed in
with the work
Ethics scrutiny of student research
Levels of scrutiny:
Undergraduate and MA dissertations
Proposal form has a section for students to
discuss the ethical dimensions of the work
Ethics form scrutinised and countersigned by the
supervisor, and lodged with the programme
office.
Students whose proposals are not approved by a
given date not permitted to do empirical study.
No data collection can happen prior to approval.
Ethics scrutiny of student research
“I’m quite indulgent with my undergraduate
students - we fill in the ethics forms
together.”
“What they write is quite descriptive – they
write down what they know they’ve got to
do, about information sheets and gaining
consent, but they don’t really understand
the questions on the ethics form”
Ethics scrutiny of student research
Levels of scrutiny: PhD applications
Proposal form has a section for students to
discuss the ethical dimensions of the work
Scrutiny by cross-faculty ethics panel (3/4
members) of Research Degrees Quality
Committee, prior to sending the proposal
to full scrutiny. Proposal does not go
forward until ethics panel is satisfied.
Ethics scrutiny of student research
“There’s a tension – you fill in the forms with
your proposal at the beginning, but you
don’t really get to grips with the complexity
of working with living human subjects until
you are in there in the research situation”
PhD candidate (Education)
Ethics scrutiny of student research
• Is total consistency (across institutions, across
disciplines, across programmes) possible?
necessary?
• Do undergraduate (and maybe some other)
students (and their research participants) need
to be protected from their own naïvety?
• Are there projects that students should not be
permitted to consider?
• What is or should be the role of the supervisor?