When Sections 1 and 3 are completed, email this file to your supervisor to complete section 2 and submit.
PS302 Ethics Form and Coversheet for Project Outline
Insert your project outline in Section 3, at the end of this file. For Joint projects, complete one form with outline per pair.
Name(s):Click here to enter text.
Project Title: Click here to enter text.
Supervisor:
Raw data must be submitted at the end of the project. Please state the form the raw data will take (e.g. questionnaires):Click here to enter text.
Please indicate the relative contribution of supervisor and student to the planning of the project so far.Students and supervisor should briefly discuss this. Ratings may very greatly between projects, but it is wise to accept input from your supervisor at this stage.. The purpose of asking the question now is to encourage communication between students and supervisors about relative contribution.
Entirely from 50/50 Mainly from
the student(s) the supervisor
The research question and topic12345
Theoretical motivation for research question12345
Research design12345
The procedure12345
The student(s) should complete Section 1, and then the supervisor should complete Section 2. For Yes/No items, please indicate the relevant response. Include extra information if required.
Ethical Approval Form
Department of Psychology, University of Warwick[1]
SECTION 1
1.Source of participants: Click here to enter text.
Consent
2.Is prior informed consent to be obtained? Select Yes or No.
From participants? Yes or No.From others? Yes or No.
Describe the means of obtaining prior consent. If prior informed consent is not to be obtained, give reasons:
Click here to enter text.
Will participants be explicitly informed of what the researcher’s role/status is? Yes or No
Will participants be told of the use to which data will be put (eg research publication, teaching purposes, media publication)? Yes or No.
Deception
3.Is there any deception involved? Yes or No.
If yes, describe the deception and the reasons for its use:
Click here to enter text.
Debriefing
4.How will participants be debriefed (written or oral)? If they will not be debriefed, give reasons.
Click here to enter text.
Withdrawal from the investigation
5.Will participants be told explicitly that they are free to leave the study at any time without jeopardy?
Yes or No.
When and how will this be done?
Click here to enter text.
Confidentiality
6.Under the Data Protection Act information about a participant is confidential unless otherwise agreed in advance. Will confidentiality be guaranteed? Yes or No.
If yes, what steps will be taken to ensure this? If no, what procedures will be taken in advance of obtaining consent (how will participants be warned?)
Click here to enter text.
Protection of Participants
7.Are the participants at risk of physical or psychological harm greater than encountered in ordinary life? Yes or No.
If yes, describe the nature of the risk and steps taken to minimise it:
Click here to enter text.
8.Is the information gathered from the participants of a sensitive or personal nature? Yes or No.
If yes, describe the procedures to be used for:
a) assuring confidentiality (see also 7):
Click here to enter text.
b) protecting participants from stress:
Click here to enter text.
Observational Research
9.If observational research is to be conducted without prior consent, please describe the situations in which observations will take place and say how local cultural values and privacy of individuals will be taken into account.
Click here to enter text.
______
I am familiar with the BPS ethical principles for human participants.
I have read and understood the current BPS Code of Human Research Ethics.
Names of Researcher(s):
Date: ______
Date: ______
SECTION 2
The following section should be completed by the Project Supervisor (click on the answer box to select Y/N):
Does the project involve- Clinical populations?
- Children (under 16 years)?
- Vulnerable adults (such as individuals with mental health problems, learning
Yes or No
Yes or No
Does the project involve the collection of material that could be considered of a sensitive personal, biographical, medical or psychological nature? / Yes or No
Does the project involve procedures that may be reasonably expected to upset or offend participants (e.g. presentation of unpleasant stimuli, arousal of emotion)? /
Yes or No
Will the study be conducted on the internet? /Yes or No
Please select one of the following options (eg by deleting the box for the one that does not apply):
I have answered NO to all the above categories and do not consider that this project needs to be referred to the Departmental Ethics Committee.
I have answered YES to at least one of the categories and am referring this project, or there is some other reason why this project needs to be considered by the Departmental Ethics Committee (give details pls).
Name of Supervisor
______Date: ______
When Section 1 of this form has been completed, and the outline has been inserted in Section 3 (below), the student(s) should email it to their supervisor, who will complete Section 2 and submit the form online.
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For Departmental Ethics Committee use only:
Action Taken:
Approved
Approved with modifications or conditions noted below
Action Deferred. Please supply additional information or clarification noted below
Signed on behalf of the Departmental Ethics Committee:
Date: ______
SECTION 3
Please insert your project outline below here. See online Guidance on what to include in your outline.
If there are ethical issues with the project, you do need to provide enough information so that the ethics committee can make a decision. For example, if you plan to ask questions about sensitive personal matters, you need to explain why you need to do that, how people will be warned these questions are involved, and how you will handle issues that might arise, such as the participant becoming upset.
[1]This form follows the British Psychological Society Code of Conduct, Ethical Principles & Guidelines (Leicester: British Psychological Society, 2000), pp.1-11. It is based on a similar form used at University of Kent at Canterbury. Thanks to Julie Turner-Cobb for allowing us permission to use this. The form at Kent is based on one from MiamiUniversity, following APA principles. Thanks are due to Steve Hinkle for providing that.