Principles
The College’s research ethics policy is guided by the following principles: 1. All research by staff that involves living subjects must be subject to competent ethical evaluation.
2. All research should be competently and suitably conducted according to appropriate research methodologies.
3. More thorough ethical scrutiny applies where participants are vulnerable or are unable to give informed consent, such as social services users or people legally deemed non-competent.
4. Particular attention should be paid in cases where participants take part in a study without their knowledge or consent at the time (but see 6 (a)), when the study would involve discussion of sensitive topics, when the study could cause discomfort or harm beyond the risks encountered in normal life, and when financial inducements are to be used.
5. Individuals undertaking research in an NHS or social services setting must abide by the Research Governance Framework for Health and Social Care. Research in an NHS setting will require approval from an NHS ethics committee; and research in a formal social care setting may require approval from a local authority Social Services ethics committee.
6. Informed consent must always be obtained at a level appropriate for the research process concerned. Thus: (a) Consent is not required for ethnographic and related observational studies conducted in locales where people would normally expect their behaviour and actions to be observable by others. (b) Consent in relation to interview research, including interviews conducted as part of a social survey or participation in focus groups, should be based on simple agreement to participate in the interview process with the right to withdraw at any point.
7. Where a guarantee of anonymity is given as part of the process of obtaining consent, this must be strictly observed at all parts of the research process and in written outputs.
8. Research involving deception on the part of the researcher raises particular ethical issues. It is not automatically unethical, but research involving deception must always be based on a specific justification of the use of deception.
9. There should be provision for feedback on the results of the research to be given to participants if they request it, unless a sufficient justification for withholding it is provided.
Procedures
1. All research done under the auspices of the College must be done in compliance with the principles stated above. To this end all proposed research should be specifically evaluated and, if necessary, modified, before ethical approval is given.
2. Specifically, all research proposals should be accompanied by a completed Ethical Evaluation Form. This will be received and evaluated in the first instance by the Chair of the College Ethics Committee.
3. In cases where there are no ethical implications to the research or when ethical implications have been satisfactorily addressed in the proposal, the Chair of the Ethics Committee will endorse the evaluation form to that effect and pass it on to the College Academic Office for record-keeping.
4. In cases where ethical implications have not been satisfactorily addressed in the proposal, or when external evaluation is required, the Chair of the Ethics Committee will endorse the ethical evaluation form to that effect and pass it on to the Ethics Committee for further consideration.
5. The Chair of the Ethics Committee is encouraged to discuss and resolve ethical problems with the prospective researcher in advance of submission of a proposal.
6. The Ethics Committee will be responsible for monitoring the submission of forms, resolving problematic cases by modifying the research proposal, and reporting annually to the Governing Body.
Ethics Committee
Terms of Reference
1. To provide, in support of the Governing Body’s ’s responsibility for the ethical governance of the College, assurance to the Governing Body on the ethical implications of activities within the College.
2. To ensure that research projects abide by the College’s Research Ethics Policy.
3. To monitor and review the College’s various policies in the light of the College’s developing ethical experience and the external ethics environment and to propose changes as required.
4. To provide advice to the Governing Body and to College staff on ethical issues as the Committee deems appropriate or as requested by these bodies.
5. To review matters referred to the Committee by any other College Committee.
Meetings
The Committee will normally meet at least once per year. Additional meetings may be called at the discretion of the Chair, provided that at least one week’s clear notice is given to all members. It will report to Governing Body once per year.
Quorum
The quorum at any meeting of the Committee is two members.
Expert Advice
Members are entitled to request and to obtain prompt, professional, legal and other expert advice for the Committee on any matters within the Committee’s terms of reference.
Insurance
Members of the Committee are insured in their capacity as members of the Committee up to the limit/s set in consultation with the College’s insurers.
Members
The Revd Canon Joseph P. Cassidy, BA, MA, STB, MDiv, STL, PhD, DTh, Chair
The Revd Ashley Wilson, BSc, BVM&S, BA, PhD, MRCVS, Vice-Chair
Professor Fred Robinson, MA, PhD
Professor Ian Stone, BA, MA, PhD