How to gain ethical approval

Information on how to ensure that your work follows appropriate University of Sheffield ethics regulations.

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What are research ethics?

Research ethics are principles that protect the dignity, rights, safety and wellbeing of research participants and researchers.

Considering the ethical implications of your research and ensuring that appropriate information, consent and mitigations are in place is an important first step in planning a robust and appropriate research methodology.

Full information about research ethics and how to apply for ethical approval is available on the Research Services Ethics and Integrity pages.

Will I need ethical approval?

All University staff and registered students must ensure ethics approval is in place if they are conducting or contributing to any research involving human participants, personal data, or human tissue BEFORE collecting any data (unless an appropriate exemption applies).

This includes research taking place in any geographical locations (either within or outside the University premises/facilities) and includes collaborations with external parties.

You need to apply for ethics approval even if you are not writing a typical piece of academic work (i.e., if you will develop an oral presentation, web-pages, podcasts and other media for your assignment).

For research using existing (secondary) data, you might not require a FULL ethics approval.

When should I apply for ethical approval?

You should plan to apply for ethical approval as early as possible to ensure that your data collection is not delayed. It may take several days or even weeks to gain approval depending on the requirements and demands of your project.

An ethical application can be designed to cover several different ways of collecting data, so don’t worry if you haven’t fully developed your research methodology yet.

Ask your supervisor or tutor about making an ethics application as soon as you can to allow you carry out your data collection in a timely way.

How do I apply for ethical approval

Ethics applications are carried out via an online application form. Your application will be assessed by trained members of staff working in an area close to your own.

For more information on how to apply for ethical approval, explore our interactive digital workshop.

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