Conducting research with due regard to the rights of research subjects and others is a fundamental consideration for all researchers. The need to support researchers and provide a structured approach to ethical considerations lies at the heart of the Faculty’s policy on research ethics. Professor Tim Bond is the Faculty Research Ethics Officer, and each school/department has a representative on the Faculty Research Ethics Committee. Together with departments’ research support staff, they provide advice and assistance to researchers on ethical issues.
Supporting ethical practice in Social Science and Law research
University research ethics policy and procedures
Research involving the NHS or other medical or health related research
The Research Ethics Committee offers a resource to researchers in dealing with ethical issues. It offers advice and assistance with an awareness of the different approaches to research present in the Faculty and the ethical consequences of differences in philosophical assumptions that underpin these approaches. The Committee works to:
foster dialogue about research ethics between those involved in or affected by research and ourselves;
accumulate expertise by critically reflecting on experience of research ethics issues within social sciences and law;
promote training in research ethics across the faculty;
ensure that ethical clearance is, where possible, conducted at departmental research ethics committees as they hold the expertise for their field of interest;
provide a formal review mechanism for ESRC funded projects, as required by the ESRC, and any other projects at the request of departments;
develop policy and strategy, consulting within the Faculty on research ethics issues.
Details of the committee membership and meetings can be found in the Faculty Committees pages.
To provide assurance to researchers in handling research ethics issues, departmental ethics committees and the Faculty Research Ethics Committee provide a procedure for reviewing and approving ethical aspects of research proposals.
Review will normally be conducted at departmental level first. All ESRC funded proposals (except PhD fellowships, which are devolved to departmental committees) will require review by the Faculty Committee , and any others at the request of a departmental committee. Please consult your departmental representative or research support staff in the first instance.
The Faculty review process is undertaken electronically, in dialogue with the researcher(s) and in as constructive and facilitative way as possible. In straightforward cases the committee aims to complete the review within two weeks for expedited review and four to five weeks for full review. It may take longer if the committee needs to ask for further information.
Faculty ethics policy and procedures (Word, 35Kb)
Application form for ethical review by the Faculty Committee (Word, 40Kb)
The ethical review policy and procedure within the Faculty has been drawn up under and in line with the University’s general policy. Detail of the terms of reference for the Faculty procedures, including rights of appeal, can be found in the University of Bristol Ethics of Research Policy and Procedure
Any health-related research project which involves humans, their tissue and/or data, and/or NHS premises must be reviewed by a NHS Research Ethics Committee (REC) prior to it commencing. The National Research Ethics Service (NRES) (formerly COREC) has developed a training pack (PDF, 137Kb) to guide researchers through the NHS ethics process. Research that receives NRES approval does not require additional departmental or Faculty approval; instead it is sufficient to report the NRES outcome