Thinking about ethics

UKCP RFC takes the issue of research ethics seriously and has developed a draft research ethics checklist for UKCP members, downloadable here. Please email Liz McDonnell with any feedback or further questions at . The UKCP 2011 Research Conference also included an ethics workshop and the RFC hopes to run further training/workshops around research ethics in the future. Updates on research ethics issues will be posted on the website. The RFC is also in conversation with the UKCP Ethics Committee about ways in which the two committees could work together around ethical issues.

Many research projects are subject to rigorous examination by bodies that are responsible for the governance of research e.g. university, NHS or Social Care Research Ethics Committees (REC). The issues are different for private practitioners conducting research outside universities, training bodies or the NHS. These practitioners should be able to demonstrate that in the absence of the availability of a formal ethics committee, all necessary steps have been taken to replicate this process as much as possible. Practitioners can seek out and follow the relevant research ethics procedures set out in various documents (see references at end). They can also refer to the ethics standards embedded in their professional organisations and discuss ethical issues with colleagues/supervisors. Creating an ethics audit trail is extremely important and seeking independent advice good practice.

There are lots of other ethics resources/guidance available and a selection of these are listed below.

Some examples from university-based research ethics procedures:

- University of Sussex - Application for Ethical Review at
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/res/1-6-12-5.html

- University of Brighton - Faculty of Health & Social Science Research Ethics and Governance Committee Guidance notes at http://bit.ly/v0Jz2R

British Psychological Society - Code of Human Research Ethics at http://www.bps.org.uk/sites/default/files/documents/code_of_human_research_ethics.pdf
British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy - Ethical Guidelines for Researching Counselling and Psychotherapy (Tim Bond) at http://www.bacp.co.uk/admin/structure/files/pdf/e_g.pdf
For research involving the NHS - Integrated Research Application System (IRAS), Guidance on Core Study Questions (Section 4, p12-37) at https://www.myresearchproject.org.uk/help/Help%20Documents/PdfDocuments/CollatedIrasPartAGuidance.pdf
Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Framework for Research Ethics at http://www.esrc.ac.uk/about-esrc/information/research-ethics.aspx
Social Research Association Ethical Guidelines at
http://www.the-sra.org.uk/documents/pdfs/ethics03.pdf
Society for Research in Child Development Ethical Standards for Research with Children
http://www.srcd.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=68&Itemid=499