Coursework and ethics

Coursework and field research

Coursework (excluding dissertations) for UG and PGT students is generally not classed as ‘research’ according to the University Ethics Policy. Where Course Organisers or Programme Directors permit students to conduct fieldwork (either in-person or online) as part of essays or other coursework, formal ethics review is not required when:

• The fieldwork does not involve special category data (Please refer to: Special category data | ICO)
• The fieldwork involves observation in public spaces but does not directly involve the observation of minors or vulnerable groups
• The fieldwork involves talking to or interviewing family members, friends or classmates
• The fieldwork involves making use of publicly-available data from online discussion boards, Internet forums, etc.

All data must be stored securely and destroyed once the course marks have been ratified by a Board of Examiners.

Any data generated through field research for coursework can not be later used for a dissertation if it has not been through the appropriate formal ethics review.

Methods training

In cases where students are required to conduct interviews or observation as part of methods training, then there is generally no need for the students to go through the ethics review process since the data is not being generated for the purposes of research.

Any 'data' generated by an interview or observation could not be used later in a research project.

Students should delete all interview or observation data once the exercise is finished.

If the field methods will feed into a project, or explore special category data (Please refer to: Special category data | ICO), then formal ethics review is required.