Computing, Engineering and Media Ethics Procedures
麻w豆传媒 recognises the need for research to be conducted with integrity at all levels and by everyone conducting research. CEM faculty staff and students who wish to undertake primary data collection for research (academic or commercial) must obtain ethics approval. Primary data collection must not begin until the correct ethics approval procedures have been completed and written authorisation of the proposed study, from the relevant ethics review panel, has been obtained.
To obtain ethical approval, please ensure that the study-appropriate procedures are followed (as detailed below).
The Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023
(Part A1 (6)) supports academic staff with “academic freedom”- means their freedom within the law without placing themselves at risk of being adversely affected:
(a) to question and test received wisdom, and
(b) to put forward new ideas and controversial or unpopular opinions.
Being compliant with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) when undertaking research
When conducting research, it is possible that you will be collecting personal data as defined by the UK’s implementation of the General Data Protection Regulations . Further information on the meaning of personal data in the context can be found on the . If you are processing personal data, you are highly likely to require a (DPIA) which should be completed and agreed before data collection begins. Please contact colleagues at dataprotection@dmu.ac.uk if you require any additional information.
Note: the DPIA process is managed by the Data Protection Team within the University, and not the Faculty Research Ethics Committee (FREC).
For additional information please read 麻w豆传媒's policies and external requirements.
High Risk Applications
Please note that the university recommends that Undergraduate (UG) / Postgraduate Taught (PGT) students should not undertake such research.
For staff and postgraduate research (PGR) students, please take note of Appendix 2: Framework for identifying research ethics risk within the university’s Research Ethics Code of Practice.
Wherever possible, staff and post-graduate research applications that are high risk should be considered by a full Faculty Research Ethics Committee. Researchers should provide an annual report of high-risk research to the approving committee – please contact your Faculty Research Ethics Committee for further information.
Worktribe
Important - Undergraduate (UG) / Postgraduate Taught (PGT) students only: please read the CEM Guidance below as a Research Ethics Screening Questions Form decision is required in the first instance.
Applications for ethics approval at 麻w豆传媒 are handled through the system. Worktribe lets us write, submit, review, revise and ultimately approve ethics applications without having to send documents back and forth via email or in paper format.
You can access using your 麻w豆传媒 single sign-on details (your P-number and password, for students). Once your account is activated and you have access, you can begin your ethics application through your profile on the "Ethics Applications" page.
Links to university Worktribe ethics training videos and user guides (for all ethics applicants, supervisors, reviewers and module ethics officers) are available through the ‘’ tab > Help Topics > 3. Ethics Training for Worktribe on the menu bar within the Worktribe system.
Timelines for replying to review panel comments
Ethics applicants should address the review panel's comments, revise and resubmit their application as soon possible.
The maximum time-frame allowable for this process is 8 weeks. If an update is not received during this time the application will be withdrawn. In such cases a new application will need to be created and submitted for ethics review / approval.
This timeline reflects shared good practice across UK HEIs to ensure timely research ethics approval.
Amending Favourable Opinion applications
If you have completed a full ethics application and received a Favourable Opinion and now wish to make changes to your study, you are required to apply for amendment approval. Within the Favourable Opinion Worktribe application you should:
- make the requested amendments in all sections that are impacted by your proposed changes;
- attach clearly identifiable updated documentation;
- add a Word / PDF document bulleting the changes.
If you are unsure as to whether the changes you wish to implement will make a substantive difference to the ethics of your study, please contact the FREC Chair for advice. This is important as substantive changes may require a re-review. Minor amendments will be assessed by the Chair of FREC.
Contacts
-
Staff & Postgraduate Research (PGR) Students
Research Ethics Screening Questions Form
In order to determine if a full ethical application is required, please complete a Research Ethics Screening Questions Form. A faculty requirement is that you should also include a brief project description.
Staff should send the form and brief project description to ethics.cem@dmu.ac.uk.
PGR student supervisor鈥檚 should send the form and brief project description to ethics.cem@dmu.ac.uk.
Following an assessment, you will be advised if:
- Additional information is required;
- A full Worktribe application is required (go to the Ethics Application Procedures below)
or
- No further action necessary
Ethics Application Procedures
For Worktribe access please refer to the Computing, Engineering and Media Ethics Procedures home page above.
Worktribe applications should be prepared and submitted for approval at least 8 weeks in advance of the research taking place. For PGR applications, your supervisor will approve the application for submission. Following submission approval,听the application will sit under status 鈥淭riage鈥�.
A CEM local requirement for staff & PGR student applications is your nominated first reviewer name.
The nominated reviewer must:
(i) be a 麻w豆传媒 staff member, at Senior Lecturer level and above;
(ii) be familiar with the subject matter; and
(iii) not be a member of the PhD academic study team.
Therefore, prior to submitting an application please contact your potential reviewer and confirm that they are able to review your application and听following confirmation, submit your application and provide the reviewer鈥檚 name in the comments area (e.g. Nomimated First Reviewer is Tom Jones).
A member of the Faculty Research Ethics Committee (FREC) will serve as second reviewer and will approve or reject applications.
Please be aware that the ethics review stage takes a minimum of 2-3 weeks to process (excluding unforeseen circumstances, e.g. holidays, strike action, etc.). This applies each time the member of staff & PGR and supervisor resubmit an amended application.
Supporting Document Templates
If your study involves human participants, then participant forms (Information Sheet, Consent Forms, etc.) may need to be uploaded to the 鈥淒ocuments鈥� section of the Worktribe application. Please use the editable participant form templates available below.
麻w豆传媒 Research Ethics Code of Practice
The university鈥檚 Research Ethics Code of Practice must be read and referred to by all applicants, supervisors, module/programme leaders and reviewers when completing/assessing an ethics application.
麻w豆传媒 Policies and Guidance
All other 麻w豆传媒 Policies and Ethical guidance can be found at the 麻w豆传媒 Policies and Resources web page. This includes lone worker, considerations for research involving children and young people, general data protection regulations and good research practice.
Sensitive Research
All information on the processes and provisions relating to sensitive research can be found in the links below:
Sensitive Research Guidance
Sensitive Research Form
Faculty Ethics Committee Chair
Professor Kathleen Richardson
Faculty Head of Research Ethics
Chair of CEM Research Ethics Committee
kathleen.richardson@dmu.ac.uk
听
Checklist
Please ensure that you have included the following in your application:
- project start and finish dates;
- your document checklist (please go to the 鈥淗elp鈥� tab, 鈥淒ocument Repository鈥�);
- attachments;
- applications must be submitted by the module leader or programme leader;
- following submission approval, the application should now sit under status 鈥淭riage鈥�.
For information purposes please note that, within Worktribe, applications should be reassigned to .
-
Undergraduate (UG) / Postgraduate Taught (PGT) Students
Research Ethics Screening听Questions Form
In order to determine if a full ethical application is required, please complete a Research Ethics Screening Questions Form, which should also include a brief project description. Your supervisor should email it to ethics.cem@dmu.ac.uk. Following an assessment, you will be advised if:
- additional information is required;
- a full Worktribe application is required (go to the Ethics Application Procedures below); or
- no further action necessary.
Ethics Application Procedures
For Worktribe access please refer to the Computing, Engineering and Media Ethics Procedures home page above.
Low risk applications: in line with 麻w豆传媒 policy, UG / PGT research (approved at a programme level) should fall within this category. Applications require a single review at programme level. For ease of reference please refer to the Faculty Guidance on low risk research for UG PGT students.
Medium risk applications: in exceptional circumstances, medium risk research can be approved after consultation with the Faculty Head of Research Ethics, Professor Kathleen Richardson (kathleen.richardson@dmu.ac.uk).
Medium risk applications are escalated to the Faculty Research Ethics Committee (FREC) for review. Please refer to听麻w豆传媒 Research Ethics Code of Practice (Appendix 2: Framework for Identifying Research Ethics Risk) available on the 麻w豆传媒 policies and external requirements web page.
High risk applications: please note that the university recommends that UG/PGT students听should not听undertake such research.
For UG/PGT applications, your supervisor will approve the application for submission. Following submission approval, the application will sit under status 鈥淭riage鈥�.
Supporting Document Templates
If your study involves human participants, then participant forms (Information Sheet/Consent Forms, etc.) may need to be uploaded to the 鈥淒ocuments鈥� section of the Worktribe application. Please use the editable participant form templates available below.
麻w豆传媒 Research Ethics Code of Practice
The university鈥檚 Research Ethics Code of Practice must be read and referred to by all applicants, supervisors, module/programme leaders and reviewers when completing/assessing an ethics application or screening form.听
麻w豆传媒 Policies and Guidance
All other 麻w豆传媒 Policies and Ethical guidance can be found at the 麻w豆传媒 Policies and Resources web page. This includes lone worker, considerations for research involving children and young people, general data protection regulations and good research practice.
Sensitive Research
All information on the processes and provisions relating to sensitive research can be found in the links below:
Sensitive Research Guidance
Sensitive Research Form
Faculty Ethics Committee Chair
Professor Kathleen Richardson
Faculty Head of Research Ethics
Chair of CEM Research Ethics Committee
kathleen.richardson@dmu.ac.uk
听
Checklist
Please ensure that you have included the following in your application:
- project start and finish dates;
- your document checklist (please go to the 鈥淗elp鈥� tab, 鈥淒ocument Repository鈥�);
- attachments;
- applications must be submitted by the module leader or programme leader;
- following submission approval, the application should now sit under status 鈥淭riage鈥�.
For information purposes please note that, within Worktribe, applications should be reassigned to .
-
Module-Level Block Approval Applications
Deadline dates for academic year 2024/25
Block 1 and 2
Screening form deadline: 07/07/2024
Worktribe app deadline: 21/07/2024
Worktribe application approval: 02/09/2024
Block 3 and 4
Screening form deadline: 10/11/2024
Worktribe app deadline: 24/11/2024
Worktribe application approval: 31/01/2025
Block 5 and 6
Screening form deadline: 16/03/2025
Worktribe app deadline: 30/03/2025
Worktribe application approval: 30/04/2025
Block Ethics Approval for Undergraduate (UG) and Postgraduate Taught (PGT) Guidance
In the first instance please consult the
It is highly recommended that, prior to commencement of the block approval process, you should:
Supporting Document Templates
If your study involves human participants, then participant forms (Information Sheet/Consent Forms, etc.) may need to be uploaded to the 鈥淒ocuments鈥� section of the Worktribe application. Please use the editable participant form templates available below.
For Worktribe access please refer to the Computing, Engineering and Media Ethics Procedures home page above.
麻w豆传媒 Research Ethics Code of Practice
The university鈥檚听Research Ethics Code of Practice听must be read and referred to by all applicants, supervisors, module/programme leaders and reviewers when completing/assessing an ethics application or screening form.听
麻w豆传媒 Policies and Guidance
All other 麻w豆传媒 Policies and Ethical guidance can be found at the 麻w豆传媒 Policies and Resources web page. This includes lone worker, considerations for research involving children and young people, general data protection regulations and good research practice.
Sensitive Research
All information on the processes and provisions relating to sensitive research can be found in the links below:
Sensitive Research Guidance
Sensitive Research Form
Faculty Ethics Committee Chair
Professor Kathleen Richardson
Faculty Head of Research Ethics
Chair of CEM Research Ethics Committee
kathleen.richardson@dmu.ac.uk
听
Checklist
Please ensure that you have included the following in your application:
- project start and finish dates;
- your document checklist (please go to the 鈥淗elp鈥� tab, 鈥淒ocument Repository鈥�);
- attachments;
- applications must be submitted by the module leader or programme leader;
- following submission approval, the application should now sit under status 鈥淭riage鈥�.
For information purposes please note that, within Worktribe, applications should be reassigned to .