Research ethics

All projects conducted by University staff or students that involve human participants, personal data, human tissue, or animals need ethical consideration. Research should be undertaken in ways that safeguard the dignity, rights, health, safety and privacy of those involved.

To support our University staff and students, we have established a thorough ethical review procedure. The information on this page aims to guide researchers through the ethical review process.

For further information please contact us

Email the team

Do I need ethical approval?

All staff and postgraduate research students conducting research on behalf of the University should complete an ethics checklist to ascertain whether ethical approval is necessary for their research.

All postgraduate research degree student registration proposals, irrespective of the outcome of the ethics checklist, need to be submitted to a relevant research ethics review panel to be dealt with either by chair’s action or full review.

Undergraduate and taught postgraduate students are not subject to the University central ethics review process but should seek review at school level. For details of ethical review of undergraduate and taught postgraduate research projects, please contact your school, course or module leader for further information.

How to apply for ethical approval

If a University ethics review is required an ethics application form should be completed electronically and emailed to the Research Ethics Team. You should also email us any supporting information, research tools (e.g. questionnaires). Also where appropriate you should complete a GDPR checklist and any relevant health and safety forms.

Ethics review panels

At UCLan, the University Committee for Ethics and Integrity is the formal body responsible for developing and implementing ethical policy and procedures which is then administered by the Ethics, Integrity and Governance Unit.

Review process

Applications are reviewed by one of the research ethics panels, operated primarily using an online process. Applications are submitted and reviewed electronically to allow for quicker responses.

Depending on the type of project the review will be either:

A full review: the application will be assigned to at least two reviewers from the relevant research ethics review panel who will review your application.
Chair’s action: if the application has already been awarded ethical approval from another institution or appropriate organisation it will be reviewed by chair’s action.

The ethics review panels can make five kinds of decisions on an application:

Outline approval or approval in principle (may include exemption from full review)
Approved (either outright, or with recommendations)
List specific conditions that must be satisfactorily addressed before an approval is granted (may also include recommendations)
Re-submission required
Reject

The time taken for a decision to be made on your application will be depended on the complexity of your application. It will also depend on, where applicable, the time you take to respond to queries, recommendations and conditions raised by the ethics review panel.

For full review, we aim to provide applicants with a review outcome in two weeks, though the time taken to gain approval can sometimes take much longer. We recommend that you apply for ethical approval several months before you plan to start data collection.

Please note work on your project cannot begin until your ethics application has been approved. This includes data collection, recruitment or contact with participants, including any pilot research.

Call for ethics lay members

The University of Central Lancashire is seeking individuals interested in joining one of the University’s research ethics panels or committees as lay members. We are looking for people interested in research to offer their expertise to help ensure our research practices meet recognised best practice and ethical standards.

Panel or committee members are responsible for ensuring that University research projects are carried out in accordance with the ethical principles set by the University ethics policy and other relevant ethical guidelines.

Our research ethics panels and committees are responsible for overseeing and monitoring ethical issues associated with research activities, such as:

Research involving human participants
Animal research
Environmental research

The University’s ethical review process exists to ensure our research activities fulfil legal obligations and meet high ethical and safety standards.

Lay members fulfil an important role and have the task of providing the public perspective in the research review process. As a lay member you will review projects remotely and be asked to attend meetings. Training will be provided. We are interested in identifying suitably qualified members from a wide variety of backgrounds. For example:

Individuals from the local community
Clergy or public services
Managers
Administrators
Lawyers
The NHS.

The University is seeking lay members in the following areas:

Our central ethics review panels consider a broad range of research areas and topics. It primarily reviews ethics submissions from staff and post graduate research students which involve human participants or their personal data.
Our Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Board (AWERB) considers all proposals that involve animals in any way – not just those covered by legislation – and provides ethical advice on standards of animal care, welfare and accommodation. In addition to reviewing proposals the AWERB holds four meetings per year. These meetings normally take place in October, February, April, and June and are scheduled to last for two hours.
Our Human Tissue Oversight Committee (HTOC) is responsible for overseeing all activities surrounding the use of human tissue at UCLan. The committee is responsible for the development and implementation of policies and procedures in relation to use of human tissue for research and teaching purposes. HTOC holds four meetings per year. These meetings normally take place October, January, April and July and are scheduled to last for two hours.
Research, Knowledge Exchange Governance Sub-Committee is a formal part of the University’s governance structure. It is responsible for overseeing the development, implementation of policies, procedures and training available to support researchers and it also provides oversight through regular audits and review of reports. This committee holds three meetings per year. These meetings normally take place in October, February and April.

Informal enquires relating of the roles above, please email Emma Neil, Head of Ethics, Integrity and Governance Unit.

Formal expressions of interest should be emailed to the Ethics, Integrity and Governance Unit, along with a CV and a brief personal statement.

Expressions of interest should be submitted by 5pm on 28 March 2024.

As your research progresses, you may want to make changes to how you wish to conduct your research. You should seek the opinion of the relevant ethics review panel when you are making amendments to an on-going project previously granted approval, including changes to the study end date listed on your ethics application. To make an amendment please email email the Research Ethics Team with justification and rational for the amendment and any updated documents with the changes highlighted.

External researchers who wish to recruit UCLan staff and/or students as participants are required to seek permission from the Ethics, Integrity and Governance Unit.

To gain permission the external researcher will be required to email the Research Ethics Team with the following information:

Provide a brief justification for why UCLan's staff and/or students need to be recruited to the project.
Provide a copy of the approved ethics application (and all the supporting documents i.e. participant information sheets, consent forms, questionnaires, interview schedules etc) that were submitted to the external researcher's ethics committee / review panel.
A copy of the ethics approval letter from the external researcher's ethics committee / review panel.
Assurance that suitable insurance arrangements are in place for the study as UCLan would not be liable for the project.
Provide evidence that permissions have been granted from the areas you wish to recruit though (if appropriate).

The project will be ratified by one of UCLan's central ethics review panels by chair's action. This can take up to 5 working days.

The chair will then determine whether the other institution has reviewed and approved the application to an equivalent ethical standards as UCLan.

Please note the process of UCLan providing permission does not constitute ethical approval, and UCLan will not undertake separate ethical review of the project.

Research ethics

Do I need ethical approval?

How to apply for ethical approval

Ethics review panels

Review process

Call for ethics lay members

Amendments

End of study

External information

Guidance for external researchers