Application for Research Ethics Approval

This document is an application for research ethics approval for a study on rehabilitation theories for domestic abuse offenders in the UK. It includes details on the research question, design, participants, recruitment, measures, data collection, and analysis. It also addresses confidentiality, informing participants, risk assessment, and DBS certificates.

APPLICATION FOR RESEARCH ETHICS APPROVAL
FOR RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN PARTICIPANTS
(Updated January 2020)
FOR BScRESEARCH
FOR PROFESSIONAL DOCTORATE RESEARCH IN CLINICAL,
COUNSELLING&EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
Completing the application
1.1 Before completing this application please familiarise yourself with the British
Psychological Society’sCode of Ethics and Conduct (2018)and the UEL Code of
Practice for Research Ethics (2015-16).Please tick to confirm that you have read and
understood these codes:
1.2 Email your supervisor the completed application and all attachments as ONE WORD
DOCUMENT. Your supervisor will then look over your application.
1.3 When your application demonstrates sound ethical protocol, your supervisor will
submititfor review.By submitting the application, the supervisor is confirming that
they have reviewed all parts of this application, and consider it of sufficient quality
for submission to the SREC committee for review.It is the responsibility of students
to check that the supervisor has checked the application and sent it for review.
1.4 Your supervisor willlet you know the outcome of your application. Recruitment and
data collection must NOT commence until your ethics application has been approved,
along with other research ethics approvals that may be necessary (see section 8).
1.5 Please tick to confirm that thefollowing appendiceshave been completed. Note:
templates for these are included at the end of the form.
- The participant invitation letter
- The participant consent form
- The participant debrief letter
Ethics Application Form (Psych) 8/10/19 1

1.6 The following attachments should be included if appropriate. In each case, please tick
to either confirm that you have included the relevant attachment, or confirm that it is
not required for this application.
- A participant advert, i.e., any text (e.g., email) or document (e.g., poster) designed to
recruit potential participants.
Included or
Not required (because no participation adverts will be used)
- A general risk assessment form for research conducted off campus (see section 6).
Included or
Not required (because the research takes place solely on campus or online)
- A country-specific risk assessment form for research conducted abroad (see section
6).
Included or
Not required (because the researcher will be based solely in the UK)
- A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate (see section 7).
Included or
Not required (because the research does not involve children aged 16 or under
or vulnerable adults)
- Ethical clearance or permission from an external organisation (see section 8).
Included or
Not required (because no external organisations are involved in the research)
- Original and/or pre-existing questionnaire(s) and test(s) you intend to use.
Included or
Not required (because you are not using pre-existing questionnaires or tests)
- Interview questions for qualitative studies.
Included or
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Not required (because you are not conducting qualitative interviews)
- Visual material(s) you intend showing participants.
Included or
Not required (because you are not using any visual materials)
Your details
1.7 Your name: NIDHI BONSU-ABBAN
1.8 Your supervisor’s name: MORENO COCO
1.9 Title of your programme: PSYCHOLOGY
1.10 UEL Project submission date(stating both the initial date and the resit date):
Your research
Please give as much detail as necessary for a reviewer to be able to fully understand the
nature and details of your proposed research.
1.11 The title of your study:An exploration of rehabilitation theories on domestic
abuse offenders in the UK.
1.12 Your research question:
* What are the key characteristics and psychology of the domestic abuse offender?
* What are rehabilitation theories for providing effective rehabilitation of domestic
abuse offenders?
* What are appropriate recommendation and measures for effective rehabilitation of
domestic abuse offenders in the UK?
1.13 Design of the research:The researcher of the study will use inductive research
design method to conduct this study and this is relied upon qualitative data only.
With the help of this method, scholar is able to analyse the rehabilitation theories on
domestic abuse offenders in the UK. It only involve theories that assist to meet the
define aim of a study
Ethics Application Form (Psych) 8/10/19 3

1.14 Participants: Selected authorities from 20 rehabilitation centres of UK to give
their insight on rehabilitation theories. Yes, they are adult and 10 of them are male
and 10 are females. There is no ethinic group is targetted and through online findings,
scholar is able to contact those people who are domestic abused
1.15 Recruitment: Through questionnaire, scholar will drop an email to the
rehabilitation centres in order to get approval to participate within research in their
official id.
1.16 Measures, materials or equipment: Through online, because of pandemic I am
not able to get in physical access of chosen participants and the list of questions are
attached in appendix
1.17 Data collection: Primary, in which survey will be conducted where questions
regarding exploration of rehabilitation theories on domestic abuse offenders will be
asked. Also secondary data collection method is used in which scholar use already
published articles, journals pertaining to chosen topic and published after 2015.
1.18 Data analysis:Thematic data analysis will be used in order to interpret the
opinions of selected respondents. Also, data will be analysed by using themes and
tables in order to understand the views easily.
Confidentiality and security
It is vital that data are handled carefully, particularly the details about participants. For
information in this area, please see the UEL guidance on data protection, and also the UK
government guide to data protection regulations.
1.19 Will participants data be gathered anonymously?
Yes, participants data will be gathered anonymously by keep the records secure
through password protected files. Also, it is not possible to conduct face to face
session due to pandemic so whole conversation will be done online.
1.20 If not (e.g., in qualitative interviews), what steps will you take to ensure their
anonymity in the subsequent steps (e.g., data analysis and dissemination)?
As the above answer is yes, so there is no need to answer this question.
1.21 How will you ensure participants details will be kept confidential?
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The data will be kept confidential and will not be shared with anybody at the time
and after data analysis. This data is confidential through password protected which
can be accessed by researcher and head of University.
1.22 How will the data be securely stored?
In laptop, and recordings will be kept for minimum 10 years.
1.23 Who will have access to the data?
Only researcher and tutor.
1.24 How long will data be retained for?
The data will be retained for the minimum of 10 years under General Data protection
regulation
Informing participants
Please confirm that your information letter includes the following details:
1.25 Your research title:
1.26 Your research question:
1.27 The purpose of the research:
1.28 The exact nature of their participation. This includes location, duration, and
the tasks etc. involved:
1.29 That participation is strictly voluntary:
1.30 What are the potential risks to taking part:
1.31 What are the potential advantages to taking part:
1.32 Their right to withdraw participation (i.e., to withdraw involvement at any
point, no questions asked):
1.33 Their right to withdraw data (usually within a three-week window from the
time of their participation):
1.34 How long their data will be retained for:
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1.35 How their information will be kept confidential:
1.36 How their data will be securely stored:
1.37 What will happen to the results/analysis:
1.38 Your UEL contact details:
1.39 The UEL contact details of your supervisor:
Pleasealsoconfirm whether:
1.40 Are you engaging in deception? If so, what will participants be told about the
nature of the research, and how will you inform them about its real nature.
NO
1.41 Will the data be gathered anonymously?If NO, what steps will be taken to
ensure confidentiality and protect the identity of participants?
No, to ensure about confidentiality, scholar will save identify of participants through
password which cannot be accessed by anyone without approval.
Yes, participants data will be gathered anonymously
1.42 Will participants be paid or reimbursed?If so, this must be in the form of
redeemable vouchers, not cash. If yes, why is it necessary and how much will it be
worth?
NO
Risk Assessment
Please note: If you have serious concerns about the safety of a participant, or others, during
the course of your research please see your supervisor as soon as possible.If there is any
unexpected occurrence while you are collecting your data (e.g. a participant or the
researcher injures themselves), please report this to your supervisor as soon as possible.
1.43 Are there any potential physical or psychological risks to participants related
to taking part? If so, what are these, and how can they be minimised?
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A physical risk is the involvement of physical stimuli I.e. noise, electric shock, heat,
cold, electric magnetic etc.
1.44 Are there any potential physical or psychological risks to you as a researcher?
If so, what are these, and how can they be minimised?
No there is not any potential physical and psychological risk.
1.45 Have appropriate support services been identified in the debrief letter? If so,
what are these, and why are they relevant?
Yes, appropriate support services been identified in the debrief letter such that there
is a clear statement in which it is mentioned not to discuss the project with any friend
and family members, if they had any opportunity to participate.
1.46 Does the research take place outside the UEL campus? If so, where?
NO, the research does not carry out outside the UEL campus. The data from
rehabilitation centre will be gathered online.
If so, a ‘general risk assessment form’ must be completed. This is included below as
appendix D. Note: if the research is on campus, or is online only (e.g., a Qualtrix
survey),thena risk assessment form is not needed, and this appendix can be
deleted.Ifa general risk assessment form is required for this research, please tick to
confirm that this has been completed:
1.47 Does the research take place outside the UK? If so, where?
No, research will not conduct outside the UK.
If so, in addition to the ‘general risk assessment form’, a ‘country-specific risk
assessment form’ must be also completed (available in the Ethics folder in the
Psychology Noticeboard), and included as an appendix. [Please note: acountry-
specific risk assessment form is not needed if the research is online only (e.g., a
Qualtrix survey), regardless of the location of the researcher or the participants.] If a
‘country-specific risk assessment form’ is needed, please tick to confirm that this has
been included:
However, please also note:
- For assistance in completing the risk assessment, please use the AIG Travel Guard
website to ascertain risk levels. Click on ‘sign in’ and then ‘register here’ using
Ethics Application Form (Psych) 8/10/19 7

policy # 0015865161. Please also consult the Foreign Office travel advice website for
further guidance.
- For on campus students, once the ethics application has been approved by a reviewer,
all risk assessments for research abroad must then be signed by the Head of School
(who may escalate it up to the Vice Chancellor).
- For distance learning students conducting research abroad in the country where they
currently reside, a risk assessment must be also carried out. To minimise risk, it is
recommended that such students only conduct data collection on-line. Ifthe project is
deemed low risk, then it is not necessary for the risk assessments to be signed by the
Head of School. However, if not deemed low risk, it must be signed by the Head of
School (or potentially the Vice Chancellor).
- Undergraduate and M-level students are not explicitly prohibited from conducting
research abroad. However, it is discouraged because of the inexperience of the
students and the time constraints they have to complete their degree.
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificates
1.48 Does your research involve working with children (aged 16 or under) or
vulnerable adults (*see below for definition)?
NO
1.49 If so, you will need a current DBS certificate (i.e., not older than six months),
and to include this as an appendix. Please tick to confirm
that you have included this:
Alternatively, if necessary for reasons of confidentiality, you may
email a copy directly to the Chair of the School Research Ethics
Committee. Please tick if you have done this instead:
Also alternatively, if you have an Enhanced DBS clearance (one
you pay a monthly fee to maintain) then the number of your
Enhanced DBS clearance will suffice. Please tick if you have
included this instead:
1.50 If participants are under 16, you need 2 separate information letters,
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consent form, and debrief form (one for the participant,and one for
their parent/guardian). Please tick to confirm that you have included
these:
1.51 If participants are under 16, their information letters consent form,
and debrief form need to be written in age-appropriate language.
Please tick to confirm that you have done this
* You are required to have DBS clearance if your participant group involves (1) children and
young people who are 16 years of age or under, and (2) ‘vulnerable’ people aged 16 and over
with psychiatric illnesses, people who receive domestic care, elderly people (particularly
those in nursing homes), people in palliative care, and people living in institutions and
sheltered accommodation, and people who have been involved in the criminal justice system,
for example. Vulnerable people are understood to be persons who are not necessarily able to
freely consent to participating in your research, or who may find it difficult to withhold
consent. If in doubt about the extent of the vulnerability of your intended participant group,
speak to your supervisor. Methods that maximise the understanding and ability of vulnerable
people to give consent should be used whenever possible. For more information about ethical
research involving childrenclick here.
Other permissions
2. Is HRA approval (throughIRAS) for research involving the NHS required? Note:
HRA/IRAS approval is required for research that involves patients or Service Users
of the NHS, their relatives or carers as well as those in receipt of services provided
under contract to the NHS.
YES / NOIf yes, please note:
- You DO NOT need to apply to the School of Psychology for ethical clearance if
ethical approval is sought via HRA/IRAS (please see further details here).
- However, the schoolstronglydiscouragesBSc and MSc/MA students from designing
research that requires HRA approval for research involving the NHS, as this can be a
very demanding and lengthy process.
- If you work for an NHS Trust and plan to recruit colleagues from the Trust,
permission from an appropriate manager at the Trust must be sought, and HRA
approval will probably be needed (and hence is likewise strongly discouraged). If the
manager happens to not require HRA approval, their written letter of approval must
be included as an appendix.
- IRAS approval is not required for NHS staff even if they are recruited via the NHS
(UEL ethical approval is acceptable). However, an application will still need to be
Ethics Application Form (Psych) 8/10/19 9

submitted to the HRA in order to obtain R&D approval. This is in addition to a
separate approval via the R&D department of the NHS Trust involved in the research.
- IRAS approval is not required for research involving NHS employees when data
collection will take place off NHS premises, and when NHS employees are not
recruited directly through NHS lines of communication. This means that NHS staff
can participate in research without HRA approval when a student recruits via their
own social or professional networks or through a professional body like the BPS, for
example.
2.1 Will the research involve NHS employees who will not be directly recruited through
the NHS, and where data from NHS employees will not be collected on NHS
premises?
NO
2.2 If you work for an NHS Trust and plan to recruit colleagues from the Trust, will
permission from an appropriate member of staff at the Trustbe sought, and will
HRAbe sought, and a copy of this permission (e.g., an email from the Trust) attached
to this application?
NO
2.3 Does the research involve other organisations (e.g. a school, charity, workplace, local
authority, care home etc.)? If so, please give their details here.
NO
Furthermore, written permission is needed from such organisations if theyare helping
you with recruitment and/or data collection, if you are collecting data on their
premises, or if you are using any material owned by the institution/organisation. If
that is the case, please tick here to confirm that you have included this written
permission as an appendix:
In addition, before the research commences, once your ethics application has been
approved, please ensure that you provide the organisation with a copy of the final,
approved ethics application. Please then prepare a version of the consent form for the
organisation themselves to sign. You can adapt it by replacing words such as ‘my’ or
‘I’ with ‘our organisation,’ or with the title of the organisation. This organisational
consent form must be signed before the research can commence.
Finally, please note that even if the organisation has their own ethics committee and
review process, a School of Psychology SREC application and approval is still
required. Ethics approval from SREC can be gained before approval from another
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research ethics committee is obtained. However, recruitment and data collection are
NOT to commence until your research has been approved by the School and other
ethics committee/s as may be necessary.
Declarations
Declaration by student: I confirm that I have discussed the ethics and feasibility of this
research proposal with my supervisor.
Student's name (typed name acts as a signature): NIDHI BONSU-ABBAN
Student's number: U1834304 Date: 20/11/20
As a supervisor, by submitting this application, I confirm that I have reviewed all parts of
this application, and I consider it of sufficient quality for submission to the SREC committee.
Appendix A: Invitation letter template
This is a suggested template for your invitation letter to participants. The sections in RED are
for you to add the specific details about your research, what it involves and who you are. Fill
in the RED sections with the details you have put in your ethics application.
Participants should be given a full idea about what their participation would involve. Avoid
jargon so that your invitation letter is user friendly. Note: this invitation letter may need to be
adapted for use with young people (16 and under) and for other vulnerable groups.
DO NOT LEAVE ANY RED IN THE FINAL VERSION OF YOUR INVITATION
LETTER
PARTICIPANT INVITATION LETTER
You are being invited to participate in a research study. Before you agree it is important that
you understand what your participation would involve. Please take time to read the following
information carefully.
Who am I?
Ethics Application Form (Psych) 8/10/19 11

I am a postgraduate student in the School of Psychology at the University of East London
and am studying for a psychology degree. As part of my studies I am conducting the research
you are being invited to participate in.
What is the research?
I am conducting research intoan exploration of rehabilitation theories for effective
rehabilitation of domestic abuse offenders in the UK.
My research has been approved by the School of Psychology Research Ethics Committee.
This means that the Committee’s evaluation of this ethics application has been guided by the
standards of research ethics set by the British Psychological Society.
Why have you been asked to participate?
You have been invited to participate in my research as someone who fits the kind of people I
am looking for to help me explore my research topic.
I am looking to involve in this research because I have an understanding in psychology and
can effectively explore information associated with rehabilitation theories for domestic abuse
offenders
I emphasise that I am not looking for ‘experts’ on the topic I am studying. You will not be
judged or personally analysed in any way and you will be treated with respect.
You are quite free to decide whether or not to participate and should not feel coerced.
What will your participation involve?
 The researcher will be asked to fill the questionnaire as attached in appendix
 Research would be conducted online
 I will not be able to pay participants for participating in my research, but their
participation would be very valuable in helping to develop knowledge and
understanding of my research topic
Your taking part will be safe and confidential
Your privacy and safety will be respected at all times.
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 Participants will not be identified by the data collected on any written material
resulting from the data collected or in any write-up of the research.
 Participants do not have to answer all questions asked of them and can stop their
participation at any time.
 Ensure that confidentiality is maintained
 What will happen to the information that you provide?
* The researcher will securely store personal contact details in a laptop which has
strong password security under cloud computing which can be accessed by
authorized persons only. The anonymised data will be seen by two stakeholders only
i.e. examiners and supervisors.
The contact details of participants, recordings, transcripts etc. will be kept in protected files
under encrypted software after the study has been completed.
What if you want to withdraw?
You are free to withdraw from the research study at any time without explanation,
disadvantage or consequence. Separately, you may also request to withdraw your data even
after you have participated data, provided that this request is made within 3 weeksof the data
being collected after which point the data analysis will begin, and withdrawal will not be
possible.
Contact Details
If you would like further information about my research or have any questions or concerns,
please do not hesitate to contact me.
NIDHI BONSU-ABBAN
[e-mail]
If you have any questions or concerns about how the research has been conducted please
contact the research supervisor Moreno Coco. School of Psychology, University of East
London, Water Lane, London E15 4LZ,
Email: [e-mail]
or
Chair of the School of Psychology Research Ethics Sub-committee: Dr Tim Lomas, School
of Psychology, University of East London, Water Lane, London E15 4LZ.
Ethics Application Form (Psych) 8/10/19 13

(Email: [e-mail])
Appendix B: Consent form template
Consent to participate in a research study
“To conduct an exploration of rehabilitation theories for effective rehabilitation of domestic
abuse offenders in the UK.”
I have the read the information sheet relating to the above research study and have been
given a copy to keep. The nature and purposes of the research have been explained to me,
and I have had the opportunity to discuss the details and ask questions about this
information. I understand what is being proposed and the procedures in which I will be
involved have been explained to me.
I understand that my involvement in this study, and particular data from this research, will
remain strictly confidential. Only the researcher(s) involved in the study will have access to
identifying data. It has been explained to me what will happen once the research study has
been completed.
I hereby freely and fully consent to participate in the study which has been fully explained to
me. Having given this consent I understand that I have the right to withdraw from the study
at any time without disadvantage to myself and without being obliged to give any reason. I
also understand that should I withdraw, the researcher reserves the right to use my
anonymous data after analysis of the data has begun.
Participant’s Name (BLOCK CAPITALS)
AGNES APPIAH
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Participant’s Signature
A.A.
Researcher’s Name (BLOCK CAPITALS)
NIDHI BONSU-ABBAN
Researcher’s Signature
NBA
Date: 10/11/20
Ethics Application Form (Psych) 8/10/19 15

Appendix C: Debrief form template
PARTICIPANT DEBRIEF LETTER
Thank you for participating in my research study to conduct an exploration of rehabilitation
theories for effective rehabilitation of domestic abuse offenders in the UK.The purpose of the
study is to highlight the domestic abuse face by people within UK and through this study,
scholar is able to identify people who has experienced domestic abuse are at the higher risk
of experiencing the range of mental health issues.
What will happen to the information that you have provided?
The following steps will be taken to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of the data you
have provided.
 The personal contact details will be protected in a file which has strong password
security.
 The data will anonymised through encrypted software and protected files.
 The anonymized data will be seen by examiners and supervisors
 The contact details of participants, recordings, transcripts etc. will be kept in
protected files under encrypted software after the study has been completed
 The participants can withdraw the data within 3 weeks time
What if you have been adversely affected by taking part?
It is not anticipated that you will have been adversely affected by taking part in the research,
and all reasonable steps have been taken to minimise potential harm. Nevertheless, it is still
possible that your participation – or its after-effects – may have been challenging, distressing
or uncomfortable in some way. If you have been affected in any of those ways you may find
the following resources/services helpful in relation to obtaining information and support:
You are also very welcome to contact me or my supervisor if you have specific questions or
concerns.
Contact Details
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If you would like further information about my research or have any questions or concerns,
please do not hesitate to contact me.
NIDHI BONSU-ABBAN
[e-mail]
If you have any questions or concerns about how the research has been conducted please
contact the research supervisor MORENO COCO School of Psychology, University of East
London, Water Lane, London E15 4LZ,
Email: [e-mail]
or
Chair of the School of Psychology Research Ethics Sub-committee: Dr Tim Lomas, School
of Psychology, University of East London, Water Lane, London E15 4LZ.
(Email: [e-mail])
Ethics Application Form (Psych) 8/10/19 17

Appendix
QUESTIONNAIRE
1. From how long you have been giving rehabilitation therapies to domestic abuse offenders?
 0 to 8 years
 8 to 16 years
 16 to 24 years
 More than 24 years
2. Do you agree, domestic abuse is one of the key social issue currently?
 Agreed
 Highly agreed
 Disagreed
 Highly disagreed
 Neutral
3. Do you agree, domestic abuse can be done by the family members, partners, ex- partners or family friends?
 Agreed
 Highly agreed
 Disagreed
 Highly disagreed
 Neutral
4. Do you have complete understanding related with the concept of rehabilitation?
 Yes
 No
 Maybe
5. According to you, what is the main psychology behind the domestic abuse offenders?
 Depression and anxiety
 Social withdrawal
 Use of substance abuse
 Psychiatric disorder
 Sexual and physical assault
6. According to you, what are the major problems which has been experienced by the domestic abuse victim?
 Depression and anxiety
 Sleeping and eating disturbance
 Thought of suicide
 Stress disorders
7. According to you, what are effective rehabilitation theories for providing effective rehabilitation of domestic
abuse offenders?
 Sociological rehabilitation therapy
 Education programme
 Social learning theory
 Developmental theory
 Co-ordinated community response model
Ethics Application Form (Psych) 8/10/19 18

8. Do you think, complying with the pro-arrest policies helps in reducing activirties related with the fomestic
abuse?
 Yes
 No
 Maybe
9. According to you, what are the challenges faced by the rehabilitaion centres for effective rehabilitation of
domestic abuse offenders?
10. According to you, what are neccesary protocols and law which is useful in providing effective rehabilitation to
domestic abuse offenders?
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