性吧电台

In the first instance, in order to determine if ethical review of a project is required, you must complete the Research Ethics Pre-Screening Questions form, available on the 性吧电台 policies and external requirements web page.

• If the form determines that ethics approval is required, you must complete and submit a full ethics application on Worktribe (depending on your study level see Section 3 for Staff & PGR, Section 4 for UG/PGT, and Section 5 for Block Approvals).
• If ethics approval is not required, follow the relevant procedure detailed in the Pre-screening form.

Once completed:

• Staff Research Ethics Pre-Screening Questions forms must be retained by the staff member in their project file.
• PGR Research Ethics Pre-Screening Questions forms must be submitted by the supervisor to the TAC Research & Innovation team at tac.ethics@dmu.ac.uk
  • If the form determines that ethics approval is not required, the PGR student must ask the Doctoral College to change their ethics section on ResJourney to 鈥渘o ethics required鈥�.
• UG/PGT Research Ethics Pre-Screening Questions forms must be stored at a local level by the module/programme leader.

All ethics applications are submitted via , using your 性吧电台 single sign-on details (your P-number and password for students).

Before starting, ensure you have completed the Research Ethics Pre-Screening Questions form (see section 1 for the pre-screening questions form) to determine if ethics approval is required.

If you cannot access Worktribe, contact worktribe.ethics@dmu.ac.uk.

Training videos, guides and an FAQ for all users of the Worktribe system are available for in Worktribe under, 鈥楬elp鈥� > Help Topics > > 鈥楧ocuments鈥� tab

For specific guidance on the ethics application process, please refer to the section relevant to you:

• Section 3 (Staff & PGR students)
• Section 4 (UG/PGT students)
• Section 5 (Block Applications)

This guidance relates to staff and PGR student (PhD, MPhil) ethics applications.

Staff & PGR Submission & Review Process

Step 1: Pre-screening

• Complete the Research Ethics Pre-Screening Questions form.
• This will determine whether you need to submit a full ethics application. (See section 1 for Pre-screening Form).
  

Step 2: Application submissions

• If ethics review is required, the applicant completes their application on Worktribe with support from their supervisor.
• System user guides can be located on Worktribe
• Project dates: both a start and end date must be added to the application.
• Supporting documents (depending on the methods used) may need to be uploaded to the application (e.g. Participant Information Sheets, Consent Forms, Anonymous Online Questionnaire Participant Information/Consent Text Template) 听鈥� see section 9 for Supporting Document Templates

• PGR students: Complete the ethics application in Worktribe with your supervisor鈥檚 support. Submit it to your supervisor, who will check, endorse, and forward it to the faculty ethics admin team for review by the nominated reviewer and the Faculty Research Ethics Committee.
• Staff ethics applications: Complete and submit your ethics application directly in Worktribe.

Step 3: Review process

• All applications (staff and PGR) are reviewed by at least two independent reviewers:

1. A nominated reviewer
2. A member of the Faculty Research Ethics Committee.

• For the nominated reviewer process, follow the specific procedure set out below.

Step 4: Outcome

• Review comments are sent to applicants by the TAC Ethics Officer Group.
• Decisions (approve or revise) are collectively made by the ethics review panel.

Applicants must not collect any data until they have received full ethics approval from the Faculty Research Ethics Committee (see Section 8: Timelines for submission and review expectations). Collecting or publishing human participant data without approval may lead to misconduct investigations and the withdrawal of the data from any publications and thesis.

First Reviewer Nomination Process

TAC now uses a first review nomination system for all staff and PGR ethics applications.

Your nominated reviewer must:

• Be a 性吧电台 staff member
• Be familiar with the subject area.
• Not be part of the PhD academic study team.

Before submitting your application, you should:

• Contact your chosen reviewer to confirm they can review your application.
• Once confirmed, submit your application and include the reviewer鈥檚 name in the comments tab (e.g. Nominated First Reviewer: John Doe).
• Not discuss your application with the nominated reviewer for the independent review.

Supervisors will be expected to work with their PGR in order to identify a first reviewer. Ideally, the nominated reviewer should be a different person to the independent assessor for the probation and/or annual review. A member of the FREC committee will continue to serve as second reviewer and moderator and will approve or recommend revisions. This is in line with the 性吧电台 Research Ethics Code of Practice.

Queries

For advice regarding the staff/PGT ethics process, please contact the TAC Research & Innovation team (see section 10 for Contact List).

This guidance relates to UG/PGT students (BA, BSc, MA, MArch, MSc) who are submitting individual ethics applications.

UG/PGT Submission and Review Process

Ethics UG PGT Worktribe Process Flow

It is sometimes desirable for students to undertake primary research as part of their degree to ensure that they are meeting their module or programme learning outcomes. Often, but not always, this occurs on dissertations.

Step 1: Pre-screening

• Complete the .
  
• This will determine if an ethics application is required (see section 1 for Pre-screening Form).
  

Step 2: Application submission

• If ethics review is required, the UG/PGT student completes their application on Worktribe with support from their supervisor.
• System user guides can be located on Worktribe
• Project dates: both a start and end date must be added to the application.
• Supporting documents (depending on the methods used) may need to be uploaded to the application (e.g. Participant Information Sheets, Consent Forms, Anonymous Online Questionnaire Participant Information/Consent Text Template) 听鈥� see section 9 for Supporting Document Templates
• Once complete, the student submits it to their supervisor on the module.
• The supervisor checks and endorses, and forwards the application to the Module Ethics Officer (Module Leader).

Step 3: Module-level review

• The Module Ethics Officer reviews and approves application for low risk projects.
• If the project is low risk and the application is complete, the module ethics officer can grant approval.

Step 4: Additional check (if supervisor is Module Leader)

• If the supervisor is also the Module Leader, a second reviewer must review the application and make sure that the project is ethically low risk.

This reviewer can be another member of the module delivery team and can be organised through Worktribe.

Step 5: Medium risk application

• Medium-risk projects must be reassigned by the Module Ethics Officer to the Faculty Research Ethics Committee for review.

Step 6: Risk guidance

• For details on how to assess risk levels for UG/PGT projects, see the Faculty Guidance on Risk for UG & PGT Students (below).

Applicants must not collect any data until they have received full ethics approval from the Module Ethics Officer Group (see Section 8: Timelines for submission and review expectations). Collecting or publishing human participant data without approval may result in misconduct investigations and the removal of the data from your dissertation. This could lead to failure or a reduced grade.

Faculty Guidance on Risk for UG & PGT Students

• In line with University policy, UG/PGT ethics studies approved at a module level should be听low risk. See TAC Guidance on Low Risk Research for UG and PGT Students听for details.
• In exceptional circumstances, medium risk research may be considered, but only after consultation with the Faculty Head of Ethics.
• For medium/high risk criteria, refer to the 鲍苍颈惫别谤蝉颈迟测鈥檚 性吧电台 Research Ethics Code of Practice (Appendix 2: Framework for Identifying Research Ethics Risk) on the 性吧电台 policies and external requirements webpage.
• Medium risk UG/PGT applications must be escalated to the Faculty Research Ethics Committee for review.
• The Module Ethics Officer will communicate the outcome to the student.

The University advises that UG/PGT students听must not听undertake high risk research.

Queries

For advice regarding the UG/PGT ethics process, contact the Worktribe Ethics system team (see section 10 for Contact List).

Guidance on Module-Level Block Approval

• This guidance relates to Module Leaders and Programme Leaders submitting an ethics application for Module Level Block Approval.
• All research requires ethical review, except studies based only on publicly available data or published literature.
• Normally, each student submits their own application. However, at UG/PGT level, if students are completing very similar or identical low risk projects, Block Approval can be used instead.
• Under Block Approval:
  • Students do not submit individual applications.
  • The Module/Programme Leader submits one application covering the whole module for up to 3 years.
  • This is only suitable for basic, very low risk research with consistent processes and methods. This may include pedagogic research where students act as co鈥恜roducers of knowledge in the role of consultants.
• Block Approval is only applicable where research is assessed as low risk. Such cases are characterised by routine, basic projects with consistent methods and minimal ethical concerns.
• Higher鈥恟isk studies, or those that fall outside the definition of low risk, will require individual applications.

Block Approval cannot be used for Dissertation Modules. In this instance, students on dissertation modules would need to complete an individual application (see Section 4 for the individual UG/PGT process).

Module Leaders must ensure students are informed about the ethical boundaries of the Block Approval project and what is/ is not permitted under the approval.

Block Submission & Review Process

Block Application Process Flow Chart

Step 1: Initial discussion

• The Module or Programme Leader discusses the proposal with the Faculty Head of Ethics (FHE) or Deputy FHE to confirm that it meets the criteria for Block Approval.
• Review the听Block Ethics Approval Process Guide + Form听to ensure eligibility.

Step 2: Application preparation

The module or programme leader then:

1. Completes the Block Approval Application Form (above)
2. Prepares an ethics application via the Worktribe System (indicating [Block application] in the title)
3. Uploads the Block Approval form and any supporting documents (see section 9 for Supporting Document Templates).

Step 3: Submission

• Submit the completed ethics application through Worktribe.

Step 4: Review

• Applications for Block Approval will be reviewed by the Faculty Research Ethics Committee

Students on the module must not begin data collection until the block ethics application has received full approval from the Faculty Research Ethics Committee (see Section 8: Timelines). Collecting or publishing human participant data without approval, or outside the scope of the approved study, may result in misconduct investigations and the withdrawal of data from the study. This could lead to failure or a reduced grade.

Queries

For advice regarding the Module Level Block Approval process, please contact the TAC Research & Innovation team (see section 10 for Contact List).

• If you have received ethics approval (Favourable Opinion) and wish to make changes to your study, you must apply for amendment approval.
• If you are unsure if the changes you wish to implement will make a substantive difference to the ethics of your study,

check Appendix 3: Making Amendments to an Approved Ethics Application, detailed in the university鈥檚 Research Ethics Code of Practice (see Section 7: Policies & Guidance)

or seek advice from the Faculty Head of Ethics (see section 10 for Contact List).

• Substantive changes may require a full re-review.

How to submit an amendment in Worktribe:

1. Select the 鈥楢mend Application鈥� button (not 鈥楨xtension Request鈥�).
2. Update all sections affected by your changes.
3. Revise the project dates if needed.
4. Upload updated supporting documents (e.g. Participant Information Sheet, Consent form etc).

Queries

If you have any queries regarding the amendment process, please contact the TAC Research & Innovation team (see section 10 for Contact List).

性吧电台 Research Ethics Code of Practice:

The University's Research Ethics CoP, must be read and referred to by all applicants, supervisors, module/programme leaders and reviewers when completing/assessing an ethics application.

GDPR (UK General Data Protection Regulation guidance for researchers):

• When conducting research, you may collect personal data as defined by the UK鈥檚 General Data Protection Regulations听.
• For details on what counts as personal data, see the .
• If you are processing personal data, you will likely need to complete a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) which should be completed and agreed before data collection begins.听
• The DPIA process is managed by the 鲍苍颈惫别谤蝉颈迟测鈥檚 Data Protection Team, not the Faculty Research Ethics Committee (FREC).
• The DPIA is separate from the ethics application process but if a full DPIA is required after the DPIA screening process, it should be added to your Worktribe application. 听
• For guidance on the DPIA process or to access the form, contact the 性吧电台 Data Protection Office 补迟听dataprotection@dmu.ac.uk.

性吧电台 Policies and Guidance

For all other 性吧电台 Policies and Guidance relating to ethics please refer to the听性吧电台 Policies and Resources web page where the following resources can be found:

• Guidance regarding travel to areas that are designated as Amber by the FCDO This guidance applies to researchers who are working abroad in areas that are designated as red or amber by the 听
• Lone Worker Guidance This guidance applies to researchers conducting activities such as one-to-one interviews or focus groups, especially when working off-site in unfamiliar locations (e.g., visiting someone in their home for research purposes).
• Ethical Considerations for Research Involving Children and Young People This guidance applies to researchers who are working where parental consent would need to be obtained.
• Guidelines for Good Research Practice.

This rule applies to

• Staff/PGR applications in Section 3,
• UG/PGT application in Section 4, and
• Block approval application in Section 5.

Review Timelines (panel review)

Step 1: Initial Review

• The ethics review panel or Module Ethics Officer requires 2鈥�3 weeks from submission to review your initial application.
• Review may take longer during holidays, university closures, or strike action.
• Students: Allow enough time for your supervisor to check and submit your application.

Step 2: Resubmission (if revisions are requested)

• While it can be disappointing if your application is not approved on the first submission, it is common for the Faculty Research Ethics Committee or Module Ethics Officer to request changes. You should carefully address their comments, revise your application, and resubmit it as soon as possible.
• You have a maximum of 8 weeks to resubmit. If you exceed this, your application may be withdrawn, and you would need to start a new application.
• The panel requires at least 2 weeks to review a resubmitted application.
• Delays may occur due to holidays, closures, or strike action.

Submission Planning

When submitting or resubmitting, allow plenty of time for:

• Your supervisor to review and submit (for students)
• The Faculty Research Ethics Committee review panel or Module Ethics Officer to review (initial and resubmission timelines)

• When conducting research with human participants, it is essential that they understand the purpose of the study and their rights.
• As part of your Worktribe ethics application, you must submit the required templates (listed below).
• Edit the templates to align with your specific study before uploading them.
• These templates are generally required for all ethics applications:

1.听Anonymous Online Questionnaire Participant Information/Consent Text Template

• Purpose: To provide participants with information about an online questionnaire and to obtain their consent.
• Use case: For fully anonymous online surveys where participants can give consent by proceeding with the questionnaire. Ensures participants understand what the study involves, how data will be used, and their rights.

2.听Participant Information Sheet

• Purpose: To explain the research study to participants in detail.
• Use case: Provides participants with key information such as the study鈥檚 purpose, procedures, risks, benefits, confidentiality, and voluntary participation. It ensures participants can make an informed decision about taking part.

3.听Participant Consent form

• Purpose: To record the participant鈥檚 agreement to take part in the research.
• Use case: Used when participants are required to provide explicit consent, usually for interviews or focus groups. Confirms that participants understand the study and agree to take part voluntarily.

4.听Parent/Guardian Consent form

• Purpose: To obtain consent from a parent or guardian for participants who are underage (under 18 years of age) or unable to consent independently.
• Use case: Required when research involves children or vulnerable participants*. Ensures legal and ethical compliance by obtaining permission from a responsible adult.

*For examples of Vulnerable Participants refer to the Research Ethics Code of Conduct (see Section 7: 性吧电台 Policies and Guidance)

• For general faculty ethics submission queries please contact:听tac.ethics@dmu.ac.uk
• For Worktribe system related enquiries please contact:听worktribe.ethics@dmu.ac.uk

Faculty Ethics Committee Chair

Dr Kyungeun Sung
Faculty Head of Ethics & Chair of the TAC Research Ethics Committee
kyungeun.sung@dmu.ac.uk

Deputy Faculty Ethics Committee Chair

TBC