Research
Ethics Approval
www.anglia.ac.uk
about ethics and ethical procedures
“isClarity
important for Anglia Ruskin University
because of our responsibility to participants
in research. This guide provides a summary
of the routes to ethical clearance for students
its accompanying notes will be of help to
undergraduate, taught postgraduate and
undertaking research projects.
As Chair of our Research Ethics Sub-Committee
(RESC), I commend this summary to you. It is
supported by a number of other documents
which are listed on the following pages
”
Professor Richard Andrews
Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research & Innovation
It is important to remember that it is not just research which involves direct contact with human
participants which requires ethical approval. Even if there is no direct contact with participants
(e.g. sending questionnaires) the research needs ethical approval. Also, research which does not
involve human participants, for example, research involving artefacts or which may have an impact
on the environment may also require ethical approval. The checklist on the Research Ethics
Application Form (Stage 1) covers the situations for which ethical approval is required.
Notes about Research Ethics Review Procedure
1
All research conducted under the auspices of Anglia Ruskin University is subject to the same ethical review process .
This includes research conducted by students on Undergraduate, taught Masters or Postgraduate research degree
research on a consultancy basis.
Research falls into green (low risk), amber (medium risk) or red (high risk) categories depending on the responses
given on the Research Ethics Application Form (Stage 1). The red category can be either internal research or
involving external bodies (NHS, Social Services, Ministry of Justice) whose approval we may accept as equivalent
2
to our own
There are two types of ethics committee that approve research at Anglia Ruskin University.
These are:
• Faculty Research Ethics Panels (FREPs), which review higher risk research and
• Departmental Research Ethics Panels (DREPs), which review lower risk research.
All faculties have a FREP and DREPs, apart from Medical Science, which only has a FREP. Ethical approval by
Research that falls into the green category does not require ethical review, but the Research Ethics Application
3
Form (Stage 1) must be submitted to the relevant DREP .
Amber research requires light-touch ethical review only. Section 4 of the Research Ethics Application Form (Stage 1)
must be completed and the form, participant information sheet and consent form (if applicable to the research)
3
submitted as a minimum requirement to the DREP . In some cases, further documents will be requested. Amber
3
research can be reviewed by two members of the DREP only as opposed to the entire committee, but these
people must be independent of the research (e.g. the student’s supervisor cannot review the application).
For research falling into the red (internal) category, Section 4 of the Research Ethics Application Form (Stage 1) does
not need completing, but applicants need to submit this form, the Research Ethics Application Form (Stage 2)
and all other documents they will be using in their research e.g. participant information sheet, consent form,
questionnaire or interview schedule, poster advertising the research. The application must be reviewed by the
application), these must be declared. For red (external) research the Research Ethics Application Form (Stage 1)
and approval letters from the relevant external organisation(s) must be submitted as a minimum requirement.
All applications must be sent by students to their Dissertation Supervisors/Supervisors, in order that they can
check them. Supervisors then submit the applications to the FREP or DREP. Decisions of the FREP/DREP are:
requested changes, which they then need to make to the application and resubmit.
1
apart from that involving animal subjects only when the animal checklist needs completing.
See: http://www.anglia.ac.uk/ruskin/en/home/faculties/fst/research0/ethics.html
2
3
or FREP for Faculty of Medical Science.
Research ethics review procedure for Anglia Ruskin University students
Undergraduate and Masters students complete VLE-based ethics training and quiz
https://vle.anglia.ac.uk/sites/non-mod/ethics1/Pages/Home3.aspx
Research degree students complete training as per the Research Degrees Regulations
http://web.anglia.ac.uk/anet/academic/
For Green applications, the student completes Research Ethics Application Form (Stage 1) and research ethics VLEbased training (undergraduates and masters students). For Amber research, the student also submits any additional
documentation (participant information sheet, consent form etc). For Red (internal research) the student also
submits the Research Ethics Application Form (Stage 2) and associated documentation.
Student and supervisor discuss application. Supervisors submits application to FREP/DREP
Risk category
GREEN
Risk category
AMBER
Risk category
RED (Internal)
Risk category
RED (External)
NHS/Social Care/Ministry of Justice
Supervisor forwards
application to DREP*
Administrator
Supervisor forwards
application to DREP*
Administrator
Supervisor forwards
application to
DREP*@Administrator
DREP Administrator logs
application and informs
DREP Chair
DREP Administrator logs
application and informs
DREP Chair
DREP Administrator logs
application and forwards to
FREP Administrator
Referred to
if higher risk
DREP (Chair) checks a
2 Members DREP review
sample of Green
(must be independent
Applications as a minimum e.g.not student’s supervisor)
requirement
DREP Administrator
communicates outcome to
student and supervisor
FREP reviews
be declared
Supervisor forwards
application to FREP
Administrator
to log, external approval
letters to FREP when
received & further
documentation if
Anglia Ruskin is acting as
Sponsor
OR
both ethical approval
from FREP/DREP and
research governance
review from the external
organisation may be
required –refer to Code
of Practice for Applying
for Ethical Approval.
FREP Administrator
communicates outcome to
student and supervisor
Feedback outcome to relevant DREP
Logged by DREP Administrator
KEY
DREP = Departmental Research Ethics Panels
FREP = Faculty Research Ethics Panel
@ For FHSCE and LAIBS Red (Internal) applications are
*Faculty of Medical Science does not have DREPs so all applications are sent directly to the FREP
submitted directly to FREP
Faculty Research Ethics Panel Chairs
ALSS—Dr Sebastian Rasinger: sebastian.rasinger@anglia.ac.uk
LAIBS—Dr Jonathan Wilson: jonathan.wilson@anglia.ac.uk
FHSCE—Dr Sarah Burch: sarah.burch@anglia.ac.uk
FMS—Dr Nigel Sansom: nigel.sansom@anglia.ac.uk
FST—Dr Charlotte Nevison: charlotte.nevison@anglia.ac.uk
Research Training and Ethics Manager—Julie Scott: julie.scott@anglia.ac.uk
Beverley Pascoe on telephone number 0845 196 4211 or email address research.ethics@anglia.ac.uk
Research Ethics Contacts
Research Ethics Information
Research Ethics Policy
Code of Practice for Applying for Ethical Approval at Anglia Ruskin University
Research Ethics Web-pages for Anglia Ruskin University
ALSS—http://web.anglia.ac.uk/anet/faculties/alss/alss_research_ethics.phtml
LAIBS—http://web.anglia.ac.uk/anet/faculties/laibs/Research/7_research_ethics.phtml
FHSCE—http://web.anglia.ac.uk/anet/faculties/hsce/research-ethics.phtml
FMS—http://ww2.anglia.ac.uk/ruskin/en/home/faculties/fms/research/ethics.html
FST—http://ww2.anglia.ac.uk/ruskin/en/home/faculties/fst/research0/ethics.html
Research, Development & Commercial Services (RDCS)—www.anglia.ac.uk/researchethics
Other useful websites
Association for Research Ethics—http://www.arec.org.uk/
Committee on Publication Ethics—http://publicationethics.org/
Information Commissioner (Data Protection Act, 1998)—https://ico.org.uk/
Human Tissue Authority—http://www.hta.gov.uk/
NHS Health Research Authority—http://www.hra.nhs.uk/
Social Care Research Ethics Committee—http://www.scie.org.uk/research/ethics-committee/
—http://www.ukrio.org/
Version 1.0 (March 2015)