The conduct of research in the University is overseen by the University Research Governance Committee. It has responsibility for ensuring good practice within each of the University's Schools and acts as a final arbiter for cases remitted to it for consideration by School Research Governance Committees (as described in University's Code of Practice for Research Governance.) Within the School of Humanities, the School Research Governance Committee has formal responsibility for the conduct of research by staff and students within the School. All funded research and research involving living subjects and sensitive cultural artefacts that is conducted within the School comes under the remit of this committee, including that undertaken by undergraduate students, taught postgraduate students, research students and academic staff. Where research is undertaken as part of collaboration across Schools or across Universities, or where research is subject to rigorous ethical review by an external body, it will be sufficient to demonstrate that formal review has taken place by a properly constituted process.
Initiating a review
To decide if your research requires a full research governance review, please refer to the determining checklist developed by the University. To initiate a governance review, or to discuss the process if you are unsure about whether or not your research needs governance, please contact Dr Michelle O'Malley, the Head of Research Support in the School of Humanities
1.1 Procedures for students on undergraduate degree programmes
It is the responsibility of the School of Humanities Undergraduate Curriculum Committee to ensure that teaching about research ethics and proper research conduct is in place within the curriculum. The School Research Governance Committee will hear special cases and provide an audit of procedures reported from the School Undergraduate Curriculum Committee.
1.2 Procedures for postgraduate students on taught degree programmes
Most taught degree programmes involve a thesis element where students may undertake a research project. All members of academic staff involved in the supervision of such projects have an obligation to be familiar with the major ethical issues raised by research engaging with living subjects or sensitive cultural artefacts.
It is the responsibility of the School of Humanities' Postgraduate Studies Committee to ensure that teaching about research ethics and procedures for confirming that research projects to be undertaken by postgraduate students on taught degree programmes that raise particular ethical issues are in place within the curriculum. The School Research Governance Committee will hear special cases.
1.3 Procedures for postgraduate students on research degree programmes.
Research projects that raise particular ethical issues and are undertaken by postgraduate students studying for research degrees are subject to review. This includes students studying for the MPhil and DPhil degrees. Formal training in research ethics is a requirement for all students and is provided in the postgraduate training programmes developed by the School of Humanities and by individual departments. Formal ethical review takes place as part of the approval of a student's research proposal during their first year of registration for a research degree. Students and their supervisors are advised to be aware of any special ethical issues that may be raised by a research project when application is made for acceptance onto a research degree programme and when applying to a funding agency for financial support (some agencies may require formal consideration of research ethics as part of the application process). Where a research project changes substantially after formal approval, it is the responsibility of a supervisor and student to submit those changes to a further process of approval.
All research degree programmes are required to have a committee of academic staff that considers student research proposals during their first year and approves student progression. This committee will give formal confirmation that any issues of research ethics raised by the specific research proposal have been satisfactorily addressed in the design of the project. It is the responsibility of the School of Humanities Postgraduate Studies Committee to ensure that teaching about research ethics is in place within research programmes and that there are procedures for confirming that research projects have been reviewed. The School Research Governance Committee will hear special cases.
1.4 Procedures for research projects undertaken by academic staff
All research, including consultancy work, undertaken by academic staff is subject to the ethical code of practice of the University and to review under the Guidelines. Researchers engaged with living subjects or with sensitive cultural artefacts are required to undertake formal review.
All such research is subject to governance. When such research is to be undertaken with external funding, review must take place before a grant application is submitted to an external body. Members of staff engaged with living subjects or with sensitive cultural artefacts who are preparing applications are required to complete a pro forma statement about the issues of research ethics raised by the project. This statement will include reference to professional codes and guidance documents linked to the School research governance website and applicants will be required to confirm that they have read the documents that apply to their particular research project and accept the obligations placed upon the conduct of research and its publication. The pro forma statement, together with the application, will be reviewed by (a minimum of three) members of the School Research Governance Committee. The statement and the completed application text, which outlines the nature and timetable of the work, must be submitted to Dr O'Malley for review by the Committee at least two weeks before the application deadline.
Where the research raises issues of great sensitivity or special concern, it will be remitted to the University Research Governance Committee for consideration. Individual members of staff may also ask this committee to consider his or her application for approval where this has been rejected by the School Research Governance Committee.