Does a project require ethical review or minimal risk registration?
Does the following apply to the project?
Project involving humans as participants and/or their data/tissue?
If none of the above apply, please select no
Do any of the following apply to the project?
Are you performing a service or practice evaluation?
For help understanding what UREC would consider to be a service/practice evaluation, please see the Research Ethics Glossary.
Is the project an audit or service evaluation?
For help understanding what UREC would consider to be an audit of a service/practice, please see the Research Ethics Glossary.
Is the project a module or programme evaluation?
This is a normal part of academic activity and should be authorised by appropriate School or Faculty authorities.
Is the project market research or research into public opinion?
The activity of collecting and studying information about what people want, need and buy or people’s views, attitudes and beliefs about a particular topic.
If none of the above apply, please select no
Does the following apply to the study?
Is the project limited to auditing data or performing secondary data analysis?
Data audit is the processing of data which has previous been collected. A data audit refers to the auditing of data to assess its quality or utility for a specific purpose. Auditing data involves looking at key metrics, other than quantity, to create conclusions about the properties of a data set.
Secondary data analysis is the use of data collected for some other purpose. The data would have been collected for research purposes if new knowledge can be derived (for example from testing a hypothesis or identifying/exploring themes following established methodology). If collected for research purposes, if applicable, the research must have received a favourable ethics opinion form a REC.
If none of the above apply, please select no
Can you confirm that all of the following criteria are met?
- The project data is anonymous, with the exception that project data can include an audio recorded conversation provided the recording device is appropriately secured, and the transcript is fully anonymised (refer to SP&BP03). No personal information is collected, apart from contact details to administer the study, a record of consent and audio recordings.
- It will not be possible to directly or indirectly identify participants when findings are disseminated.
- The project will not cause damage and distress (for example the topic is not sensitive and it is unlikely that confidentiality would need to be breached).
- Project data/information will not be collected from under 16-year-olds, vulnerable or dependent groups (please refer to SP&BP07).
- The project is covered by UREC Approved Standard Procedures and Best Practice Documents (SP&BP01, SP&BP02, SP&BP03 and SP&BP04).
- Participant and gatekeeper facing documents comply with LJMU templates.
If all of the above apply, please select yes
If none of the above apply, please select no
Can you confirm that all of the following criteria are met?
- The project data is anonymous, with the exception that project data can include an audio recorded conversation provided the recording device is appropriately secured, and the transcript is fully anonymised (refer to SP&BP03). No personal information is collected, apart from contact details to administer the study, a record of consent and audio recordings).
- It will not be possible to directly or indirectly identify participants when findings are disseminated (note, individuals can be indirectly identified from direct or paraphrased quotes that have been posted in the public or private domain).
- Investigators will obtain explicit consent from a data controller to access data/information.
- The project is covered by UREC Approved Standard Procedures and Best Practice Documents (SP&BP01, SP&BP02, SP&BP03 and SP&BP04).
- Gatekeeper facing documents comply with LJMU templates.
If all of the above apply, please select yes
If none of the above apply, please select yes
The answers indicate that the project requires ethical review or minimal risk registration.
Staff/PGR projects - please visit the UREC webpages for further information. Undergraduate/PGT projects - please contact your School or Faculty REC.
Please note:
Service evaluations and clinical audits conducted in the NHS require approval from the lead NHS trust.
Research undertaken in the NHS may require HRA approval as well as ethical review by UREC. For information, refer to the LJMU Research Ethics and Governance SOP.
Research undertaken in the NHS or involving certain methods may require a favourable ethics opinion from an NHS REC instead of from UREC. For information, refer to the LJMU Research Ethics and Governance SOP.
The answer from the previous page indicates that the project does not require ethical review by UREC or minimal risk registration.
If the answer from the previous page relates to an Undergraduate or PGT project: The project may require ethical review by the School REC or minimal risk registration. For further advice, please contact the relevant school or faculty REC.
If the answer from the previous page relates to a project involving animals, please contact AWESGTeam@ljmu.ac.uk.
Do I need formal ethical approval from a Research Ethics Committee (REC)?
The answers indicate that the project requires a favourable ethics opinion from a REC.
Staff/PGR projects - please visit the UREC webpages for further information. Undergraduate/PGT projects - please contact your School/Faculty REC
Please note
- Service evaluations and clinical audits conducted in the NHS require approval from the lead NHS trust.
- Research undertaken in the NHS may require HRA approval as well as UREC or school/faculty REC approval. For more information visit our Research Governance webpages.
- Research undertaken in the NHS or involving certain methods may require NHS REC approval instead of UREC or school/faculty REC approval. For more information see the research governance webpages.