Welcome to Research Ethics

For our Research Ethics guidance, application form and supporting documents, click here or see 'Documents' tab below.

Research ethics

The Ethical Review Process is a cornerstone of decision-making and praxis in research. Research is a step into the unknown. As a result, seeking unrevealed understanding often presents a range of risks. Some are trivial. Others profound. The Ethical Review Process is designed to facilitate excellence in the pursuit of knowledge by helping researchers to identify such risks as well as ethical issues in the design, conduct and oversight of research. This enables researchers to develop reasoned and ethically defensible responses to these issues so that they may conduct their research while protecting themselves, their participants, colleagues, environment, and the University. Refer to our Research Ethics Policy here

Research ethics for students (undergraduate and taught postgraduate)

Our Student Ethics Standard Operating Procedure.pdf describes the procedures for undergraduate and taught postgraduate research projects. These procedures take effect from academic year 2018-19 onwards. All undergraduate and postgraduate taught student applications should be submitted to their supervisors in the first instance, not the University Ethics Panel.

Research ethics for PhD students and staff

PhD students and staff members are advised to submit an ethics application well in advance of their anticipated start date. Please submit the Research Ethics Application form and supporting documentation to ethicspanel@marjon.ac.uk by 4pm on the following dates. These deadlines apply to PhD students and staff members only.

Delegated review : the first Monday of the month from September to July.
Full review: the first Monday of the month: September, November, January, March, May and July

Please note the caveat attached to our delegated ethics review: delegated applications are assigned as such based on the answers and justification provided within the Research Ethics Application. However, reviewers reserve the right to escalate an application to the next full panel review if a they disagree with the level of risk and vulnerability indicated by researchers.

Research Ethics Panel members

Dr Joe Layden, Chair & member of Research & Knowledge Exchange Committee
Vacancy, postgraduate student representative
Dr Lucy Cooper, academic representative
Steve Gunard, non-teaching member
Jessica Holliland, independent member
Sarah Martin, academic representative
Carina Robertson, academic representative
Marie Bradwell, academic representative
Dr Jonathan Waddington, academic representative
Claire Benwell, panel administrator
Laura Daniel, Data Protection & Freedom of Information Officer, acts as a consultant to the panel

Click here for free training and resources in research ethics evaluation