Research Ethics

A message from the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research

The University of Cambridge is committed to achieving excellence in research and scholarship. The pursuit of excellent research and the fulfilment of our responsibilities to participants in research, research users and the wider community require the maintenance of the highest standards of integrity and ethics.

To maintain the high standards of research practice at Cambridge, the University will uphold the commitments outlined in Universities UK’s Concordat to Support Research Integrity.

The University expects all researchers, be they staff, students or visitors to the University, to abide by national, European and international standards of research integrity.

  • Honesty in all aspects of research
  • Scrupulous care, thoroughness and excellence in research practice
  • Transparency and open communication
  • Care and respect
  • Accountability

See the Research Integrity Statement for the lists of expected behaviours or attributes under each of these categories.

In addition to these core principles, researchers should ensure that their research is conducted according to appropriate ethical, legal and professional frameworks, obligations and standards. This includes seeking ethical approval for research where appropriate. Researchers are also expected to treat colleagues with integrity, honesty and collegiality, including the fair provision of references and peer review.

Faculty of Architecture and History of Art Research Ethics Committee

The Committee undertakes to:

  • maintain ethical standards of practice in research;
  • ensure that supervisors, design fellows, students and researchers are trained in, and aware of their responsibilities regarding ethical issues in research;
  • align with the University of Cambridge’s Research Ethics Policy;
  • refer complex cases to the School of the Humanities and Social Sciences;
  • take account of legitimate interests of other individuals, bodies and communities associated with the research

What Type of Research Requires Research Ethics Review and Approval?

Much of the research conducted in the Faculty of Architecture and History of Art (critical, analytic, technical, archival, design-based or historical) is unlikely to raise any serious research ethical issues.

Experimental research, and fieldwork, if conducted within anthropological or sociological frameworks for instance, must have research ethics approval, especially if it involves any of the following:

    i. fieldwork or experiments involving human participants; or

    ii. use of personal data.

    iii. work with children or vulnerable individuals;

    iv. work with NHS patients, staff or facilities.

Students should read the Research Ethics and Integrity section of their course Handbook which explains the different aspects of conducting research involving human participation – such as informed consent, confidentiality, anonymity, using social media and avoiding harm.

Research Ethics Approval Process for Dissertations and Research Projects

The process for research ethics approval for dissertations (undergraduate and MArch) and other research projects (postgraduate and staff) is set out below and in a Research Ethics Flowchart).

Undergraduate Dissertations

  • All undergraduate dissertations, regardless of topic or human involvement, require research ethics approval.
  • Students must submit their research ethics application through the undergraduate application system (see below).
  • The supervisor reviews the application, provides feedback or requests adjustments if necessary to ensure ethical compliance, and holds responsibility for final approval.
  • Once approved by the supervisor, the process is complete. Neither the Research Ethics Committee Chair nor the Committee itself need to be involved, unless the supervisor identifies non-standard or complex ethical issues (e.g., research involving vulnerable individuals). In such cases, the Committee will review the application.

MArch Dissertations

  • All MArch dissertations require a research ethics application (see below).
  • The dissertation must be approved by the supervisor and a designated member of the Ethics Committee.
  • This dual sign-off ensures appropriate oversight for MArch-level research.

Postgraduate and Staff Research Projects

  • All applications are first reviewed and approved by the supervisor.
  • Following this, applications are assessed by a panel comprising the supervisor plus two Committee members.
  • Finally, the Committee Chair confirms that the process has been correctly followed before formal approval is granted.

Important:

Students and supervisors are expected to familiarise themselves with the research ethics guidance provided on this website before preparing applications. This ensures that research upholds the highest standards of integrity and complies with relevant policies.

For any non-standard cases, or if you are unsure whether your project requires Committee review, please consult your supervisor or contact the Research Ethics Committee directly at ethicschair@aha.cam.ac.uk .

Please complete the appropriate form:

Students: Undergraduate and MArch https://www.cognitoforms.com/FacultyOfAHA/EthicsUGMArch202426

Postgraduate Students and Staff Researchers - https://www.cognitoforms.com/FacultyOfAHA/EthicsPGStaff202526

Additional documentation to submit in support of the application:

Research ethics forms may be submitted at any time.

Referrals

Where research proposals involve children or other vulnerable individuals, or pose ethical issues that appear beyond the expertise of the Research Ethics Committee, they will be remitted to an appropriate Schools-level Ethics Committee (either the Cambridge Psychology Research Ethics Committee or the Social Science Research Ethics Committee).

Guidelines for Ethical Review of Coursework (i.e. not submitted dissertations or research papers) for Undergraduate and Postgraduate Supervisors

The value of ethical review is to ensure that researchers have rigorously considered the potential consequences of their research for themselves and others, particularly those who participate in, or are the subjects of, the research. Completion of a Research Ethics form should help guarantee this, as the nature and the practicalities of the research to be undertaken has to be clear in a student's mind for the form to be filled in satisfactorily.

All students undertaking practical coursework involving human participants (whether experimental, questionnaire, interview-based, or ethnographic) should fill in a form when they have settled on a topic or project in sufficient detail. In the first instance these are reviewed by the supervisor, who can require students to revise their forms, and who approves those that have no — or trivial — ethical implications. It is expected that the majority of forms for any given course are likely to be fall into this category.

Those deemed by the supervisor to require more comprehensive scrutiny should be forwarded to the Chair of the Research Ethics Committee for approval; revision may be required before approval is granted. It is expected that very few—if any—applications for ethical review will be rejected; the value of the process lies in making explicit to the students what is required of a successful piece of research involving human participants or data, and in providing a process of review that can draw on broad expertise in providing feedback to the students in order that they can amend their research plans appropriately.

Each supervisor should provide a copy of all submitted and approved Research Ethics forms to Secretary of the Faculty Board; the University requires that we compile an annual report on the workings of the ethical review process in the Faculty.

Supervisors should familiarise themselves with the Faculty's guidelines for the conduct of experimental and social research. Links to more detailed, discipline-specific guidelines are provided on the on the University Research Ethics Webpage Research Ethics | Research Integrity.

Addendum on Data Protection, GDPR, and Safety
To ensure compliance with institutional data protection and GDPR standards, the following measures should be observed:

  • Survey Tools: It is recommended to use institutionally approved tools and software for conducting surveys. Data collected should be stored according to institutional standards with appropriate encryption and data protection policies. Please consult with the project supervisor or advisor for additional details. Mention this explicitly in the methodology sheet.

  • Survey Form: The Research Ethics Committee requires the survey form and questionnaire to be attached to the application for assessment. Ensure the questionnaire is included in the documentation if that method of data collection is being used. This ensures a complete review. Avoid recording any identifiable information to maintain participant anonymity.

  • Data Security: Confirm that the chosen data storage system complies with institutional data security standards, including encryption and protection against unauthorized access. Clearly outline this in the methodology sheet, information sheet, and consent form.

  • Encryption: Implement robust data protection strategies, such as strong encryption (e.g., password-protected files or datasets) and secure password-sharing methods within the research team. This should also be detailed in the methodology sheet, information sheet, and consent form.

  • Access and Retention: Clearly define access restrictions, data retention duration (e.g., how long data will be stored), and deletion protocols. These should align with institutional requirements and be included in the methodology sheet, information sheet, and consent form.

  • Two-Step Authentication: If non-institutional tools are planned to be used, ensure that two-step authentication is implemented to enhance security.

These guidelines should be rigorously followed to uphold high ethical standards and ensure compliance with institutional policies. Supervisors and project principal investigators must adhere to ethical and GDPR privacy policies. If there are any queries, they should consult institutional members of the Research Ethics Committee for clarification.

For further information, please see the University Research Integrity webpage.