ECS SEC Lester Gilbert Learning Societies Lab Ethics and the School Ethics Committee Lester Gilbert Learning Societies Lab University of Southampton Chair, ECS SEC Version 2 Updated September 2009

Ethical issues The condition of humankind What is a life well (properly) lived? Moral theory What is right and wrong? Ethics in practice Who gets the heart transplant? (The 30-year old alcoholic pedophile or the 70-year old upright professor of computer science?)

Ethical issues in ECS Treatment of participants in research studies: Human, Animal Treatment of participants’: Tissue, Data The quality of the research, eg: Will it waste people’s time? Is the study likely to answer the research question?

Treatment of participants Invasive Intrusive Risk of harm Deception Fully informed consent not (initially) obtained Coercion / not able to withdraw at any time for any reason Inappropriate inducement to participate

Participant data Data Protection Act (DPA) 1998

Participant data Data Protection Act (DPA) 1998 Can any individual be identified from the data? If so, steps must be taken to ‘protect’ it: Retained for a limited period, then destroyed Right of access to be given to participants Not used or divulged apart from the agreed purpose of the study Export from the EU is controlled Held securely This usually involves some form of anonymisation where the bulk of the data is held separately from securely held names, addresses, and/or e-mails

Participant data Data Protection Act (DPA) 1998 Can any individual be identified from the data? If not, the DPA does not apply expedited submission to the ECS SEC available (provided there are no issues arising from the treatment of the participants)

Participant data Data Protection Act (DPA) 1998 ‘Sensitive’ data: racial or ethnic origin political opinions religious beliefs trade union membership physical or mental health sexual life commission of offences or alleged offences ECS SEC would not normally consider any study which collected such data (though other SECs can)

University approval Required for all research involving humans (and their data or tissue) Complete the Research Governance Office (RGO) ‘IRGA’ (Insurance and Research Governance Application) form for non-expedited submissions RGO provides insurance cover RGO provides legal cover Secured via School ethics committees Teaching and learning activities involving student participants (eg laboratory practice, student projects) requires ECS SEC approval but not notification to RGO

After approval Reference number prominently located on invitations to participate, information forms, consent forms, questionnaires, etc Material changes to, or adverse outcomes during, the study must be notified

Summary Approval is required if the study involves humans Expedited submission if the only issue is the collection of data which may be subject to the DPA Really good reasons will be required for intrusion, risk of harm, or deception Studies involving invasive techniques, lack of informed consent, coercion or restrictions on ability to withdraw, or ‘sensitive’ data not normally considered (though other SECs can do so) Reference number prominent on all communications Material changes to, or adverse outcomes during, the study must be notified

Questions, comments? Site: https://secure.ecs.soton.ac.uk/ethics/ E-mail: ethics-chair@ecs.soton.ac.uk Forms: https://secure.ecs.soton.ac.uk/docpot/deptadmin/Ethics/ RGO: http://www.southampton.ac.uk/corporateservices/rgo/