Useful General and Disciplinary-Specific Ethical Guidelines

Applicants should, in the first instance, consider the Goldsmiths Code of Practice on Research Ethics [pdf]. The College Research Ethics Committee only considers academic practice that is constituted as academic ‘research’. Applications for ethical review are considered with regard to general principles of research ethics and the particular disciplinary context of the research. The Committee understands that, although general standards of good ethical practice need to be met, different disciplines frame such principles in the context of different forms of ethical deliberation and knowledge. All ethical scrutiny should be commensurate to the research proposed and its disciplinary context and proportionate to the potential risks involved. In that light, all applicants are asked to consider the guidelines and codes of practice formulated within particular disciplinary associations and professional societies. Such guidelines and codes of practice might include those from the following organisations:

ESRC Research Ethics Framework [ pdf ]

AHRC – Guidance by the MRC on the conduct of medical research, and by ESRC on the conduct of social science research, provided on behalf of all Research Councils, must be observed.

EPSRC – Guidance by the MRC on the conduct of medical research, and by ESRC on the conduct of social science research, provided on behalf of all Research Councils, must be observed. 

MRC

Association of Social Anthropologists

British Educational Research Association (BERA) [pdf]

The British Psychological Society

British Sociological Association

Research with NHS Patients
Applicants conducting research that is concerned with human participants associated – whether as patients, ex-patients or otherwise - with the National Health Service (NHS) should consult guidelines and advice from the Department of Health and the Central Office for Research Ethics Committees (COREC) websites.

Such proposed research should note that ethics approval is required through a Department of Health approved ethics committee for all research on:

• patients and users of the NHS. This includes all potential research participants recruited by virtue of the patient or user's past or present treatment by, or use of, the NHS. This also includes NHS patients treated under contract with private sector institutions.
• individuals identified as potential research participants because of their status as relatives or carers or patients and users of the NHS, as defined above.
• access to data, organs or other bodily material of past and present NHS patients.
• the recently dead in NHS premises.
• fetal material and IVF involving NHS patients
• NHS staff - recruited as research participants by virtue of their professional role.

(Para 3.1, Governance Arrangements for NHS Research Ethics Committees, 2001)

Legal Matters
Staff researchers need to be cognisant and compliant with relevant civil and criminal law in the United Kingdom that might apply to the research and publication process. This involves the Copyright Patents and Designs Act 1988, the law of defamation, and Data Protection Acts 1988 and 1998. Whilst the committee cannot act in a professional legal advisory role, the committee is available to deal with preliminary queries that might merit further investigation.