Introducing the University Research

Ethics Committee

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• To review the University’s Ethics Policy, including providing guidance on its interpretation.

• To operationalise the University’s Ethics Review Procedure:• accrediting departmental ethics review arrangements and

reviewing accreditation on a five-yearly basis,• monitoring departments’ ethics review arrangements and

reviewing annually departmental ethics decision making reports,

• Providing guidance in cases of uncertainty brought to its attention by departmental ethics review panels,

• making decisions on cases that cannot be resolved by ethics review panels, and

• hearing appeals against decisions made by departmental ethics review panels.

UREC’s key tasks

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• To promote awareness and understanding of research ethical

issues throughout the University.

• To advise on any research ethical matters that are referred to it

from within the University.

• To keep abreast of the external research ethics environment and ensure that the University responds to all external requirements.

UREC’s key tasks…

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• The ethical review of individual applications:

• unless an applicant has appealed, or

• the department cannot reach a decision.

• Give advice on ethical issues that are not concerned with research.

What UREC doesn’t do…

Challenges in making all of this work….

• Staff resistance and misunderstanding.

• Temptations of superficial box-ticking.

• Patchy reception and take-up.

• Resources?

• External ethics approval procedures in medical and social care research…different jurisdictions, different ethics cultures.

Recently, the scope of UREC’s activities has begun to expand, in response to changes in the external environment

As a result of the policies of a number of external bodies, not least

Research Councils UK (RCUK), research integrity’ has become a

significant and visible theme, and the two agendas are merging.

Defined very simply…

Research ethics deals with relationships with, and treatment of

human participants and subjects.

Research integrity deals with relationships with colleagues,

professional communities, funders and the general public.

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Sir David King, when he was the United Kingdom Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser, summarised research ethics succinctly, as a combination of rigour, respect and responsibility.

These generic principles, Sir David’s Universal Ethical Code, apply to all of the University of Sheffield’s research activities, in all of our academic disciplines.

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RIGOUR: Honesty and Integrity

Be as skilful & careful as possible: keep techniques up to date and learn new ones; help others in their professional and personaldevelopment.

Do whatever necessary to stop corrupt practices and professionalmisconduct and adopt procedures to detect and discourage this.

Declare conflicts of interest.

Be alert to how research depends on and has an impact on others’work, and on their rights and reputations.

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RESPECT: Care for Life

All research has implications for the lives of others, is governed by law,

And can make a direct or indirect contribution to the public good. We must

recognise and respect these considerations.

We must have a care for life.

We must work in ways that are lawful and publicly accountable.

We must take account of potentially adverse effects for people, animals

and the natural environment.

We must respect the rights and privacies of individuals.

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RESPONSIBILITY: Communication

This is a matter of how we communicate, listen to and inform our

students, colleagues and the wider public.

We should encourage and participate in debate about the issues that our

research may raise for society.

We should never knowingly mislead or allow others to be misled about

our research or about science.

We must present and review research data, theory or interpretation

honestly and accurately…and accessibly?

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Putting ethics into practice

Although each discipline has its own ethical traditions, proper ethics are the common ground on which all disciplines meet and

there are general lessons to be learned by all researchers.

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Ethics is about quality and research integrity, doing the best possible research.

Ethics is about how we conduct our research, from start to finish.

Ethics is about how we treat those involved in, or affected by, our research.

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Ethics is not merely a matter of minimal compliance with codes and guidelines.

Properly ethical research demands that ethical considerations should be in the forefront of our thinking and routinely inform all that we do.

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Ethics is about communicating our

research goals, procedures and findings

as clearly as possible.

Ethics is about recognising that research

is supported by, and a part of, the wider

society.

Ethics is about being principled and

accountable at all times.

This is an ambitious and difficult agenda.

It will require, not policies and procedures, but a significant culture

change…

…not just organisationally, but within disciplines, and in individual working

practices.

It will be a long process, requiringmanagerial will and a willingness to

learn from difficult situations.