Contents
Risk & Ethics forms
All projects must be cleared by the School of Communication and Media filter committee. In order for your project to be considered at a committee, you must complete and submit the Risk & Ethics documentation as part of Coursework 1.
To submit your Risk and Ethics form:
- Do not submit your form until you have completed the Risk and Ethics Template.
- After you complete the template, you can copy/paste your answers into the form.
- Submit your risk and ethics form to the form at https://teams.microsoft.com/ (click “continue in browser” – do not open in the Teams app)
Note: please use the desktop site rather than the Teams app. If Teams does not load initially, please go to https://www.office.com/ and click on the Teams icon on the left side of the screen.
Please make sure to submit your form after you enter your information.
You must enter text in all off the fields in order to submit your form.
This Risk and Ethics documentation must be submitted in week 11 (the same deadline as the proposal).
Incomplete or non-submission of the risk & ethics documentation will result in failure of Coursework 1.
Once your risk and ethics documentation has been cleared, you will receive feedback from this committee.
If your forms have not been approved, there will be an opportunity to resubmit any risk and ethics forms during the resit period in January.
For any forms not submitted in week 11, a maximum mark of 40 may be allocated for Coursework 1.
The consequence of embarking upon data collection without having received ethical approval is failure of the project.
The risk & ethics documentation does not receive a mark, but the issues of Risk & Ethics should also be addressed within the 2,000 word proposal (see the structure of Coursework 1)
Consent
Ulster University Policy on Consent
Ulster University has indicated in its Research Governance Policy that free and informed consent of all research participants is one of its most important principles. In general this means that:
- Subjects should have the capacity to consent
- All consent forms and information sheets should be clear and easy to understand
- Subjects should be provided with all of the information including any possible risks
- Subjects should be made aware that participation is voluntary
- Subjects should be made aware that they can withdraw at any time and without subsequent effect to them
- No pressure should be exercised in gaining consent
- No unreasonable inducement should be offered in gaining consent
- Subjects should be assured of confidentiality
Practical guidance for undergraduate Project students on the School of Communication Policy on Consent:
Outlined in this section are the requirements that the School of Communication has set with regard to consent.
Participant consent
Depending upon the nature of your research, your research methodology and your participants, the type and level of consent required will vary. However, all participants will require an information sheet detailing:
- the focus of the project
- how & where the data will be presented
- confidentiality of participants details
- participants’ rights to withdraw from the project at any point without explanation
Once the participant has had time to consider the information sheet, informed consent will be assumed through the completion of the questionnaire.
In instances where a participant is to undertake an interview or focus group then written informed consent should be obtained prior to this taking place.
An example consent form is listed below. This is a basic outline and may be amended to fit the requirements of your specific project.
If you have any questions regarding the most appropriate form of gaining consent for your specific project you should discuss this with your supervisor.
What to do with consent forms
- If your research requires the use of consent forms, then you should insert, as an appendix, a blank consent form in your Project.
- All completed and signed consent forms should be retained by the student should they be required by the supervisor, External Examiner or any appropriate party who requests them.
- No completed and signed consent forms should be included in your Project.
Example participant consent form
Ulster University, School of Communication
Consent to Participate in Academic Research
I…………………………………………………………………
Of (address if necessary)……………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………….
Post Code:………………………………………………………
Telephone:………………………………………………………
understand the nature and purpose of this research conducted by:
…………………………………………………………………
who is a student of
…………………………………………………………………
in the School of Communication at the Ulster University at Jordanstown.
I further understand that my participation is voluntary, I have been explained and understand the focus of the project, how the data will be stored, accessed and presented and that I can withdraw from the research at any time. I understand that confidentiality will be maintained.
Signed:…………………………………………………….
Date:……………………………………………………….