Research Ethics and Governance Code of Practice

The School ensures integrity and ethical standards in all research by staff and students, adhering to the principles of the Concordat to Support Research Integrity. Our policies include a strong data protection policy, academic integrity regulations, and an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy. Students receive workshops on integrity, communication, ethics, and project governance during their final project modules. They can seek support from the Final Project Module leader, their supervisors, or the Director of Education. Staff must also address ethical considerations in their research and may need to submit an assessment before commencing research. Training on supervision and research governance is provided, and misconduct, including plagiarism, is managed through a designated policy. A whistleblowing policy and a comprehensive complaints process are also in place, all monitored and evaluated under established regulations.

The School upholds fundamental ethical principles such as respect for persons, integrity, justice, and beneficence, and this includes obtaining informed consent from participants and protecting their welfare. Compliance with data protection regulations, including handling personal data, maintaining confidentiality, and ensuring the security of research data, is important as well. All research conducted at the School must undergo a comprehensive ethical impact assessment. Researchers must address the following areas in their assessment and submit it to the Academic Board for approval before starting their research. Supervisors are responsible for ensuring these questions are thoroughly reviewed with their supervisees:

1. Legal Harm: Assess whether the research may violate laws such as the Equality Act 2010, data protection laws, or copyright laws. Ensure adherence to School policies on data protection and confidentiality, and apply proper data governance.

2. Regulatory Harm: Determine if the research might breach codes or standards from professional bodies or School regulations. Ensure compliance with research and academic integrity standards.

3. Reputational Harm: Evaluate whether the research could harm the School’s, staff’s, or students’ reputation, considering potential conflicts of interest and impacts on recruitment or procurement. Ensure policies on freedoms, such as speech, are observed.

4. Other Harm: Identify any potential physical, mental, or environmental harm resulting from the research, including relevant safeguarding issues.

The processes for obtaining ethical approval prior to commencing research, including submission procedures, timelines, and criteria for assessment are embedded in the Automated Governance System (AGS). Procedures for identifying, assessing, and managing risks associated with research activities, including potential harm to participants and researchers, are important. If any of the four key questions on ethical impact are answered affirmatively, an assessment must be submitted via the AGS before research can begin. The ethics form includes:

• Research Context: Specify whether the research is staff-led or part of an undergraduate or postgraduate final project module, including the department.
• Contact Information: Provide the name and contact details of the researcher and any co-researchers.
• Research Description: Detail the research, including dates, funders, partners, supervisors, aims, methods, outputs, impact, and value.
• Potential Harm: Describe possible harm, including physical, psychological, social, and reputational risks.
• Risk Register and Minimisation: Outline steps to reduce risks and specify who will implement these measures.
• Proportionality Assessment: Evaluate the remaining risk versus the research's value after risk mitigation.
• Informed Consent: Explain how informed consent will be obtained.
• Confidentiality and Data Protection: Describe measures to protect participants' confidentiality and ensure compliance with data protection regulations.
• Monitoring and Reporting: Outline processes for monitoring the research and reporting ethical concerns.
• Ethical Approval Sign-off: Provide space for signatures from the ethics review committee.
• Training and Support: Include a section on training for researchers regarding ethical standards.

Student and supervisor assessments are sent to the Final Project Module leader, who forwards them to the Academic Board. Staff assessments are sent directly to the Academic Board.

The School has a governance framework that includes roles and responsibilities for a research ethics committee. The Academic Board will hold a standing Research Ethics Committee meeting each semester, with additional meetings as required. Students and supervisors should aim to submit assessments by this time. Staff assessments will also be reviewed, although urgent requests may be considered ad hoc. The Committee will review submissions and request necessary changes to ensure ethical compliance within 5 working days of the meeting. If a project cannot be modified to avoid harm, it must be revised to meet compliance standards. All decisions and actions will be recorded and stored on the Automated Governance System (AGS).

Ethical obligations continue throughout a project and all researchers must pause and submit an assessment at any point a likely harm is foreseen.

The School will establish robust mechanisms for reporting ethical breaches or concerns, alongside clear accountability measures for researchers who fail to adhere to ethical standards.

Non-compliance with the ethics policy may result in misconduct or disciplinary action. For any questions or clarifications, contact the Director of Education.

The School will provide comprehensive training and resources for researchers to understand ethical guidelines and compliance requirements.

The School recognises that regular audits to monitor compliance with ethical standards and encourage feedback from the research community for continuous improvement is important. The Academic Board will report on the application of the Ethics Policy to the Board of Governors annually. This report will include an analysis of the policy's effectiveness and any proposed changes for the Board's approval.