Research Ethics

All research involving human data or material is subject to formal ethical review. For staff and students in the School of Social & Political Sciences, the review process depends on the type of research:

Advice for Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught Students

Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught projects with an original research element that involves human participants or the use of non-public datasets are required to obtain ethics approval for their research before commencing data collection. This includes individual student dissertations and small or pilot projects undertaken in the context of a particular taught course.

Students seek ethics approval by completing an application form and having their supervisor submit the application on their behalf to the School of Social and Political Sciences Ethics Forum (the SEF). Application forms are available at the College Research Ethics Committee page at the link above.

The School of Social and Political Science is currently operating in a transitional phase, while preparing a set of research protocols. In the meantime, we are continuing to use the existing forms, which many of you as students will have been briefed on.

How to Apply for Ethics Approval

1. Discuss research ethics issues with your supervisor
2. Download and complete the CSS Ethics Application Form from the College Research Ethics page
3. Send the form to your supervisor and ask for the comments. Remember that your supervisor MUST complete the ‘Comments from Supervisor’ section at Box 1.7 and fill in their name (electronic signature is fine) at Box 6.
4. Your supervisor must submit the application by email for you:
   • Undergraduate: socpol-ug-ethics@glasgow.ac.uk
   • Postgraduate: socpol-pgt-ethics@glasgow.ac.uk

If you need help or are not sure what to do, please ask! Talk to your research supervisor or to your subject area representative in the School Ethics Forum, as listed below.

Advice for Supervisors

Most undergraduate and postgraduate taught students are applying for ethics approval for their dissertation research. If you are a supervisor of dissertation students, your involvement and participation in the ethics approval process is very important. Here are some quick points about what you need to do, and you will find more advice and guidance on the other links on this page:

1. Discuss research ethics with the student relevant to their particular study area and assist them to fill in the application form – on the CREC website link above;
2. Add your comments and electronic signature at Box 1.7 and Box 6 – note that ethics applications will be returned if this is not complete
3. At Box 1.7 you also have the opportunity to indicate if the application is ‘low risk’. We have provided guidance here to help you determine whether the project is low risk. If you identify the project as low risk, the application can be fast-tracked through ethics approval and will only require one SEF reviewer.
4. YOU must submit the application form on behalf of the student (whether low risk or not). The relevant email addresses are as follows:
   • Undergraduate: socpol-ug-ethics@glasgow.ac.uk
   • Postgraduate: socpol-pgt-ethics@glasgow.ac.uk

If you need help or are not sure what to do, please ask! Talk to your research supervisor or to your subject area representative in the School Ethics Forum, as listed below.

Timeframes for ethics approval

For applications identified as ‘low risk’ by the supervisor, a decision should be provided within 15 days from receipt of application.

For applications not identified as low risk, a decision should be provided within 25 days from receipt of application.