College of Social Sciences

Research projects involving the collection, analysis and storage of personal data normally require the following supporting documents to be submitted with their ethics application. These may not all be relevant for data considered to be in the public domain. There are links for each at the relevant section of the ethics application form for you to download and complete.

Please consider relevance carefully and attach the applicable documents to your application:

• Consent form (with permission to record activity if applicable)
• Privacy Notice
• Participant Information Sheet
• Draft Interview Questions/Questionnaire/Focus Group Themes (if applicable)
• Observation Proforma (if applicable)
• Evidence of Permission to access participants/data (if applicable)
• Evidence of Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) clearance (if applicable)
• Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA)
• Data Management Plan

Submit your completed ethics application form with all supporting documents via the Research Ethics System. Please allow six weeks for the initial review and feedback stage, and additional time to complete any corrections required by the review team before full approval is given. Timescales may take longer during busy and vacation periods. You are encouraged to submit your application as early as possible.

You should refer to the Online System Guides in the section below for assistance in uploading your application.

Application Form   

Staff and PGR Ethics Application Form

Notes Version Staff and PGR Ethics Application Form

Protocol for Research Dealing with Non Standard Data  Do I need to use the Non Standard Data Form?

Staff and PGR Protocol for Research with Non Standard Data

With Notes Staff and PGR Protocol for Research with Non Standard Data

Supporting Documents:

• Consent Form 

Consent form

• Privacy Notice

Privacy Notice

• Participant Information Sheet

Participant Information Sheet

Participant Information Sheet Children

Participant Information Sheet Early Development

• Observation Proforma

Observational Proforma Guidance

• Risk Guidance and Risk Assessment Form

Risk Guidance February 2020

Graduate School PGR Risk Assessment Form

• Data Management Plan

Data Management Plan for Staff

Data Management Plan Template for PGR Students

Data Management Plan Notes

• Data Protection Impact Assessment Template 

Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA)

For all research proposals involving the collection, processing and/or storage of data derived from human participants a Data Management Plan and a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) are also required. It is recommended that you contact Data Protection & Freedom of Information Office for guidance on this. The DMP and DPIA are not part of the ethical review process, but the online Research Ethics System acts as a University repository for these documents and should be uploaded with your ethics application. If you have any queries related to this please contact the DPFIO at dp@glasgow.ac.uk. 

If you find you need to make changes to your research project after you have received ethical approval you must submit an Amendments Request Form to the College Research Ethics Committee and ensure that the changes are approved before you apply them to your project.

• Amendment Request Form

Staff and PGR Student Request for Amendments to an Approved Application

The form should be submitted with any accompanying amended documentation, such as a Participant Information Sheet, Consent Form etc. with any changes highlighted.

Minor Amendments, which do not alter or bring any additional ethical considerations, include:

• changes to key research team members,
• changes to the timescale during which during which the data collection will take place or extension of overall approval period,
• minor changes to consent materials eg. to update contact details of reflect changes to the approval dates, or,
• inclusion of new research sites and/or participant groups, with the caveat that new sites and/or participant groups are similar to those already approved and nothing else will change, eg. the same protocol will be used and already approved documents will be used.

Major Amendments, which modify your original research design in ways that affects the ethical issues associated with the project. Examples of major amendments include:

• moving from in person to online methods of data collection, or
• adding a new participant group to include potentially vulnerable people.

Please note: If the review team consider the changes proposed to amount to what could be considered a different project to that originally approved, they will require that a new ethics application be submitted through the online Research Ethics System. 

Unfortunately, the Committee is unable to process retrospective amendment requests. The normal solution when this happens is to submit a new application by updating the original documents, re-dating and submitting anew. Please email socsci-ethics@glasgow.ac.uk - we can download and send a copy of the original application to save time.

In case of exceptional circumstances that require expediting the ethics review, the applicant should complete an expedited request form via the link below and contact the ethics administrator socsci-ethics@glasgow.ac.uk.

• Expedited Request Form

Expedited Review Request Form

Before completing the form, please seek approval for your request from the Head of Subject - proof should be added as attachment to the form. 

Please note that expedited requests are subject to reviewer availability and cannot always be accommodated.

There are specific guides to the steps in the online process provided here; they are also available in the Help section of the online Research Ethics System.

If your application is returned at any stage, guidance notes are provided here to assist in the resubmission process.

Staff Applications: 

How_to_Create_A_Staff_Ethics_Application

How to Delete a Staff Draft Application

How_To_Re-submit_A_Staff_Application_Returned_by_Administrator

How_To_Re-submit_A_Staff_Application_Returned_by_Committee

How to Withdraw a Submitted Staff Application

Student Applications:

How_To_Create_A_Student_Ethics_Application

How_to_Re-submit_a_Student_Application_Returned_by_Supervisor

How_To_Re-submit_A_Student_Application_Returned_by_Administrator

How_To_Re-submit_A_Student_Application_Returned_by_Committee

How to Delete a Student Draft Application

For Supervisors:

How_To_Supervise_A_Draft_Student_Ethics_Application

How to Supervise a Student Application Returned by Administrator

How to Supervise Student Application Returned by Committee

How_To_Supervise_Deletion_of_ a_Student_Ethics_Application

How_To_Supervise_Withdrawing_A_Student_Ethics_Application

If you are dissatisfied with the decision made by the College Research Ethics Committee, you should in the first instance discuss this with the Convenor/Ethics Officer.  If discussion is unable to resolve the issue, an appeal may be made to the University Ethics Committee. However the University Committee will not normally interfere with a decision to require revisions to the project, such as to amend an information sheet or consent form. The University Ethics Committee is concerned with the general principles of natural justice, reasonableness and fairness of the decision made by the College or School Committees.

The University Ethics Committee will provide general advice to the College Research Ethics Committee and will refer the matter back to them with that advice for them to make a decision.