Research Ethics
If your research requires ethics approval, you need to use the University approved surveys.
You can find information about this at the following links:
https://www.staffnet.manchester.ac.uk/rbe/ethics-integrity/ethics/app-prep/
This link should take you to ethics guidance,from which you can see a number of possibilities. To obtain guidance on survey tools, open the "General Considerations" tab. The fifth bullet point includes a link to Guidance on use of Survey Materials.
This is the link if you want to go direct to Select Survey https://apps.mhs.manchester.ac.uk/surveys/
Only use Qualtrics if no ethical approval is required.
We are in the process of updating website links/content of our AMBS ethics guidance and materials. In the meantime, this is a reminder that STAFF and STUDENTS undertaking research need to use:
(1) Ethics Decision Tool to determine whether their project requires formal ethical approval. IMPORTANT: The tool DOES NOT work in Google Chrome, but DOES work well in Firefox, Internet Explorer or Safari.
(2) Guidance notes to determine level of risk(students only, as all staff ethics applications automatically go to Proportionate or full UREC);
(3) Use the ERM online system to apply for ethics approval.
We will be updating materials to emphasise the range of issues that require ethics approval:
· taking of written consent (i.e. a signature) is personal identifiable information;
· special category data (such as ethnicity; religion; trade union membership);
· confidential information (i.e. data not available to public and which organisation/respondent would not wish to share).
· students are not classed as 'professionals' and studies involving students usually require ethical approval
Student research
Supervisors of students (at any level) are responsible for ensuring that those students conducting research have the appropriate ethics approval.
All u/g, MSc and MBA students must conduct research that conforms to the established low risk criteria, or only in justifiable cases, conduct research that conforms to the established medium risk criteria (see AMBS guidance for these criteria).
LOW RISK student projects require approval of supervisor/Programme and a submission in the ERM system: We will be updating materials to emphasise that students need to be able to tick all the boxes in the guidance list, e.g. projects can only be considered low risk if they take place exclusively within the EU/EEA; do not involve confidential information etc. GDPR compliant templates for information sheet and consent forms MUST be used.
MEDIUM RISK student projects require approval from the School Ethics Chair and a submission in the ERM system.
We will be updating materials to emphasise that students need to be able totick all the boxes in the list for Medium risk, e.g. projects taking place outside of EU/EEA but not in a setting on the list of countries that FCO advises against travelling to; topics are not highly contentious; of sensitive personal nature etc. GDPR compliant templates for information sheet and consent forms MUST be used.
DBA and PhD students are allowed to conduct low risk and medium risk projects or high risk projects if their supervisor sagree that they meet conditions (see AMBS guidance). Please note, high risk projects MUST be submitted for full UREC review.
MSc dissertation supervisors should discuss ethics requirements for student research at the earliest possible opportunity and identify the level of risk attached so that relevant applications can be made as soon as possible.
Staff research
All staff projects requiring ethics approval MUST be submitted for Proportionate or full UREC review (see University guidance).
Finally, if ethical approval is required, researchers cannot begin recruitment or data collection until formal confirmation of ethical approval via the ERM system is received.
Ethics help
If you require advice or assistance with research ethics, please contact Sarah Willis for UGT/PGT and Thomas Schleicher for PGR and AMBS Staff.