Ethics Application Form for Undergraduate Students

This form is for undergraduate students to complete and ensure that they have considered the ethical implications of their research. It includes sections for personal details, approval from the supervisor, project details, ethics issues, health and safety issues, research involving participants, data protection, and safe storage of research material.

ETHICS
APPLICATION FORM
Undergraduate Students
(QA Higher Education Sept 2019 update
25.09.19)
The completion of this form should not be seen
as an end in itself but as a vehicle to ensure that
you have gone through a process of considering
the ethical implications of your research in detail
and that you are able to communicate this
clearly.
SECTION 1: PERSONAL DETAILS
& DECLARATION
Please complete the header with your name
and Department
Name:
Student number:
UR email address:
Programme of Study:
Supervisor:
STUDENT’S SIGNATURE
I confirm that this submission accords
with the University Code of Conduct and
that all information supplied on this form
is correct
Student’s Signature:
Please use an electronic signature or type your name
Date:
SECTION 2: SUPERVISOR’S
APPROVAL
Dissertation supervisors, please:
 scrutinise the Ethics Application and
all participant-facing documentation
 suggest and check any changes
which need making before your final
approval
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Please tick the box to confirm that you
have approved the application as ethically
sound,
and the participant-facing documentation
as appropriate
SUPERVISOR’S SIGNATURE
Signature:
Please use an electronic signature or type your name
Print name:
Date:
SECTION 3: PROJECT DETAILS
Title of project:
To assess an impact of employee turnover on the performance of
organization with respect to retail segment companies: A study on
Morrison’s
(should be the same as on participant-facing documentation)
Proposed start date:
20th July 2020
Duration:
20th August 2020
Purpose of the proposed investigation (max
500 words):
This section should include the material which
outlines the rationale for the project, i.e. why this
study needs to be done. This should be done in a
way that is both accessible and scholarly, i.e. have
proper cited sources.
Aim
To investigate an influence of employee turnover
on the performance of company in context of
retail sector: case study on Morrison’s
Objectives
To understand the concept of employee turnover
To determine factors that induces the staff to
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leave the job
To analyse an effect of employee turnover on the
performance of corporation
To recommend appropriate measures for
managing turnover of employees at workplace
Rationale
The main reason behind conducting this report is
to identify major causes of employee turnover in
retail sector firms. It is very crucial to prepare
the report on this particular topic as currently it is
major problem that is been faced by all types of
retail companies. This study will help the firms
in gaining deeper insights relating to the factors
or components that poses a great impact on the
workforce in leaving their jobs. This report is
being formulated for understanding the elements
that induces the staff to left their work and in
knowing the measures or corrective action could
be taken for managing employee turnover.
Moreover, this research is being conducted for
analysing the manner or extent to which turnover
of employees might result to a negative effect of
the company’s productivity, sales and
profitability.
Outline of the project:
This section should include the details of the research
methods i.e. what will be done and how. Please start
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by giving a brief summary (one paragraph) including
how many participants there are likely to be, where
the research will take place and an indication of how
long participation will take for each section
(interviews, questionnaires etc.) and in total.
In this study, scholar will make use of qualitative
method which helps in making a detailed
analysis of the qualitative characteristics such as
emotions, feeling and belief associated with the
effect of staff turnover on firm’s performance.
An investigator will be using primary as well as
secondary sources for collecting the data which
helps in making the study more as valid and
reliable. The common sources which would be
utilised by researcher in order to obtain data for
the report includes structuring questionnaire,
conducting survey, reviewing books, articles,
journal and internet. These sources help in
gathering relevant information and reduces the
chances of inaccuracy or misleading data.
Referring to this report, researcher will be using
simple random sampling where all the member
in population has equal chance of getting
selected. Under this the sample is been collected
randomly so that chances of error and biasness is
reduced to larger extent. This tool is the type of
probabilistic sampling where the scholar takes a
sample from large population based on the
subjective judgement. The sample of 30
managers will be chosen as the respondent for
assessing the data and generating adequate
conclusions.
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You should attach all the research
instruments you are planning to use in your
research, e.g. interview questionnaire,
online questionnaire template, etc. These
should be checked by your supervisor prior
to Ethics application approval)
Please confirm that
1) you have attached all research
instruments you intend to use, and
2) you will notify your supervisor of any
major changes.
YES
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SECTION 4: ETHICS ISSUES
Ethical issues raised by the project and how these will be addressed:
Points that should be considered include:
 Participants and consent
 Confidentiality and anonymity
 Right to withdrawal
 Deception
 Permissions from organisations involved
 Whether any vulnerable populations are involved (including under 18s) (also see Section 6)
This section should have some comment and not left blank.
The researcher will face ethical issues with regard to right to withdrawal and confidentiality in
conducting the primary research analysis as in this personal information of individual is involved.
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SECTION 5: HEALTH & SAFETY ISSUES
Health & safety issues raised by the project, including any risks to participants and/or
researcher and sole working. Think of hazards, who can be harmed, how can someone be
harmed, number of people affected, what are the consequences, what are the existing or
possible control measures.
You should clearly indicate how these H&S issues will be addressed. This section should
have some comment and not left blank.
 Please discuss these with your Supervisor, who should contact the Head of Health & Safety if
necessary.
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SECTION 6: RESEARCH INVOLVING PARTICIPANTS
 You should amend the attached Participant Consent Form template to be given to
participants as required
 You should also attach any other information to be given to participants
You should consider carefully what information you provide to participants, e.g. scope of
study, number of participants, duration of study, risks/benefits of the project. It is
recommended that the participant has two copies of the consent form so they can retain one
for information.
 If images or anything else which might allow the identification of participants is to be
publicly accessible (e.g. on the web), further written consent must be secured.
A separate section regarding this should be included on the participant consent form.
Please confirm that
1) you have attached the amended consent form and information sheet (if applicable) to be
given to participants, and
2) you will notify your supervisor of any major changes.
YES
Give details of 1) the method of recruitment, and 2) potential benefits or incentives to
participants if any (include any financial benefits where appropriate).
(NB: Please remember that written permission will have to be sought from any organisations where
recruitment is carried out or posters placed (e.g. if you recruit in GP’s surgeries you will require NHS approval)
1) Social media and web advertising
2) Bonus
Please confirm that you have attached written permission from any organisations where
recruitment is carried out or posters placed
YES
Will your research involve participants who are aged under 18?
YES NO
Will you be approaching participants who might be considered to be vulnerable (please give
details if not addressed elsewhere on this form)?
YES NO
If you have answered Yes please refer to the Ethics Guidelines (especially section 3.4.j if
your research involves participants who are aged under 18) and highlight the particular
issues raised by working with these participants and how these issues have been
addressed.
If you have answered yes to either of the above you will need to obtain DBS clearance.
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Please contact your supervisor.
(Please note: if you are unsure whether DBS clearance is required, please discuss it with
your supervisor)
Please tick the box to confirm that the appropriate DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service)
check has been applied for.
If you have already obtained DBS clearance, please provide details of DBS check (date,
disclosure number, issuing organisation (if applicable) and place of issue).
If issued by another organisation please advise if you have registered this with the DBS
Update Service and provide reference number and date.
SECTION 7: DATA PROTECTION
Before completing this section of the form, you should read the Data Protection and Storage
Guidance for Researchers. It is the responsibility of students to ensure that they comply
with the University’s policies and procedures regarding data protection.
All research data must also be processed in line with the University’s IT Policy, which
states,
You must not create, download, store or transmit unlawful material, or material that is
indecent, offensive, threatening or discriminatory or extremist.
ETHICS FORM COMPLETION AND APPROVAL
Before starting data collection for the dissertation:
After ethics form completion with attachments (e.g. consent/access/survey forms and
letters) email it to your supervisor. The Ethics form and attachments should be agreed with,
and signed off by your supervisor, and it should be signed by you.
Then, you and your supervisor must keep an electronic copy of the completed Ethics form
(with attachments e.g. consent/access/survey forms and letters) that is signed by your
supervisor and you. It must be stored in a safe place because it may be required for
inspection at a later date.
SAFE STORAGE: OF YOUR RESEARCH MATERIAL/DATA COLLECTION
DOCUMENTS
Safely saving your research material during data collection and after dissertation
submission on Turnit In:
Keep a copy of the dissertation documents with your data collection instruments and all of
the electronic data collection/analysis files (all participant related/anonymised documents
and ‘personal data’ (also see the definition below): questionnaires, interview forms,
interview transcripts, focus group data, survey data and observation records etc.) within
your QAHE Roehampton account document folder or in another secure storage area, laptop
or personal computer that is password protected – not in USB sticks that can get easily lost.
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Questions relating to personal data processing:
‘Personal Data’ is defined as, “Any information relating to an identified or
identifiable person (a ‘data subject) or from which a person can be identified
either directly or indirectly.” Examples of personal data include:
 Name
 Age
 Address
 Job title
Will the research project involve collecting, storing or processing personal data relating to
research participants?
YES NO
If yes, other than signed consent forms, what types of personal data will be collected/
stored/ processed as part of the research project?
Questionnaire
Please give details of how this data will be anonymised:
Primary sources
Will you be storing your research data (both raw and processed data) and documents
containing personal details of any participants using University IT facilities?
YES NO
If no, please specify the storage medium you intend to use, e.g. personal laptop, USB stick,
etc.
Please give details of how they will be kept secure (please ensure that all electronic data is
password protected, and also encrypted if on personal devices):
Security pin will be set for keeping information confidential
Please confirm that personal data will NOT be transferred to any party or organisation
outside of the University.
YES
All research participants should be provided with information about how their personal data
will be used. The attached Data Privacy Notice for Research Participants document should
be given to participants along the Participant Consent Form.
Please confirm that the Data Privacy Notice for Research Participants will be handed out as
a hard copy along with the consent form (unless using an online questionnaire etc). ( Please
include the Privacy Notice along with your other documentation when submitting your
ethics application).
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YES
PARTICIPANT CONSENT FORM (and Privacy Notice)
Title of Research Project:
Brief Description of Research Project, and What Participation Involves:
Note: Please include what participation involves (if appropriate), where it will take place,
how long it will take and how many participants there are likely to be.
For interview based studies: State any limits on confidentiality
Please use wording along the lines of:
The interview will be tape recorded, and transcribed with any identifying details removed.
The transcript, or extracts from, may appear in my report and in publications arising from
it. The tapes may be heard by my supervisor and others who might be involved in
examining the report.
Everything you say will be treated confidentiality, but there is a limit to this: if you disclose
a risk of serious harm then I may need to take appropriate action (this adheres to the
ethical guidelines of the …………).
For questionnaire based studies:
State that the data will be collected in a way that makes it fully anonymous.
Please use wording along the lines of:
No identifying details will be recorded on your questionnaire response so that your data
will be completely anonymous and it will therefore not be possible to link your consent
form to your questionnaire response or to the data arising from it. You will be asked to
assign a code number to your data which only you will know, so if you wish to withdraw
your data you will be able to do this by providing the research with your code number.
Investigator Contact Details:
Name
Department
University Address
Postcode
Email
Telephone
Consent Statement:
I agree to take part in this research, and am aware that I am free to withdraw at any point
without giving a reason, although if I do so I understand that my data might still be used
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in a collated form. I understand that the information I provide will be treated in confidence
by the investigator and that my identity will be protected in the publication of any findings.
By signing this form, you are confirming that you have read, understood and agree with
the University’s Data Privacy Notice for Research Participants.
Name ………………………………….
Signature ………………………………
Date ……………………………………
Please note: if you have a concern about any aspect of your participation or any other
queries please raise this with the investigator or the Supervisor. However, if you would
like to contact an independent party please contact the Head of Department.
Supervisor Contact Details: Head of Department Contact Details:
Name Name
Department Department
QAHE University Address QAHE University Address
Postcode Postcode
Email Email
Telephone Telephone
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*** Form to be used if appropriate ***
Participant Number: ……………………………………….__________
PARTICIPANT DEBRIEF
Title of Research Project:
Thank you very much for taking part in our study, we greatly appreciate your contribution.
This study is designed to examine the factors that might … Brief Description of
Research Project, and your participation is extremely valuable.
All data gathered during this study will be held securely and anonymously. If you wish to
withdraw from the study, contact us with your participant number (above) and your
information will be deleted from our files.
Should you have any concern about any aspect of your participation in this study, please
raise it with the investigator in the first instance or with the Project Supervisor or Head of
Department.
Investigator Project Supervisor Head of Department
Name Name Name
Department Department Department
Address Address Address
Email: Email: Email:
Tel: Tel: Tel :
If you are a student at QAHE (Roehampton University partnership) and are troubled or
worried about any aspect of the study, or issues it may have raised, you may find it
helpful to contact the following. The Welfare Service will be able to advise you on
agencies that can deal with your particular concern or if you feel your concerns are more
serious:
If you are a non-student you may find it helpful to contact your GP or The Welfare
Services above who will be able to advise you on agencies that can deal with your
particular concern.
[Agree with Student Welfare on appropriate agencies]
DATA PRIVACY NOTICE FOR RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS
Research Participants - How the University uses your personal data
Why have I been directed here?
This statement explains how the University of Roehampton handles and uses personal
data collected from research participants. This includes data collected directly from
research participants or where the data has been received from a third party.
Who will process my personal data?
This statement applies to all research conducted by the University of Roehampton and its
members.
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What is the purpose of the personal data processing?
You will have been informed about the specific types of personal data that will be used in
connection with the research project you are participating in, and the nature and purpose
of the research project. You will have been informed of any data sharing with
participating research institutions, transfers outside of the European Union, and any
automated decision making that affects you.
In some cases, your data may have been shared with the University by another
organisation for the purposes of conducting research. The University may also re-use
personal data it already holds for the purposes of conducting new research. The
University will only use personal data in this way where it is legally entitled to do so. In all
cases, the University will normally contact you to give you details of the research unless
this would be impossible or involve disproportionate effort, or would significantly
undermine the research objectives.
The University may in exceptional circumstances release personal data to appropriate
authorities without seeking the permission of or notifying the data subject, but will only do
so in compliance with its legal obligations.
What is the legal basis of the processing?
In the majority of cases, your personal data (including, where appropriate, sensitive
personal data) is used to carry out research, including scientific, historical and statistical
research, in the public interest. Where the research is commercial in nature or funded by
a private company, the legal basis for processing is likely to be legitimate interests. If the
personal data being used for research purposes falls into one of the special categories of
personal data, including criminal convictions data, the lawful basis will usually be that the
processing is necessary for archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or
historical research purposes.
What are my rights as a data subject?
The General Data Protection Regulation and Data Protection Act 2018 provide
exemptions for personal data processing in relation to research activities.
You have the right to opt-out of any further processing. If you do opt-out, your personal
data may not be erased but will only be used in an anonymised form as part of the
dataset. (Please note that this is separate to withdrawing your participation from the
research project itself).
In accordance with accepted ethical standards, you will not be named in any published
materials unless you have given your explicit permission for this to happen.
The University considers that other statutory rights held by personal data subjects do not
apply where the personal data is being processed for the purposes of research. If you
would like to request a copy of the personal data then you can contact the lead
researcher. Where practicable, they will provide you with a copy of this data. However,
they are under no obligation to do so.
How long is my information kept for?
Your data will be kept in accordance with QA Higher Education and University of
Roehampton’s Record Retention Schedule. Research data may be retained indefinitely
in an anonymised form by researchers. The University may also reuse your personal
data for a different research project. If it does, the University will make reasonable
attempts to inform you about this reuse and its impact on your rights as a data subject.
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Occasionally a researcher will leave the University and begin working for another
organisation. In this case, your personal data may be transferred to the new organisation
so that the research project can continue. If this happens, you should be provided with
updated privacy information by the new organisation.
The University is committed to protecting all personal data for which it acts as a
controller. Your information will be safely held on a secure system.
Who can I contact?
The University has a Data Protection Policy which sets out how personal data will be
used across the whole University. Further information about data protection can also be
found on the University’s website.
https://www.roehampton.ac.uk/corporate-information/policies/. If you would like to
receive hard copies of any policies relating to Data Protection please contact the
University Data Protection Officer.
If you would like to make a general query about how your data is being used as part of a
research project, you should contact the researcher whose details you will already have
been provided with.
If you would like to make any further enquiries or raise any concerns with respect to your
personal data, or your rights as a data subject, you can contact the University’s Data
Protection Officer, via the researcher’s supervisor at QA Higher Education.
How do I complain?
If you have any concerns about the University’s handling of your personal data, you have the right
to make a complaint about to the Information Commissioner’s Office and can do so at
http://ico.org.uk/concerns/.
*** Attach your research instruments, written permission from
organisations and any other information to be given to participants HERE
***
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