The ICOIS research ethics policy is part of a wider process of ethics review which is set out in the policy of the School of Technology:

The departmental Research Ethics Review Group consists of the ICOIS’s Executive Committee (EC). The EC will assess ethical issues arising from projects which cannot be dealt with by self-assessment under para. 6 of the School Code (T/12/67). In such a case ICOIS application form for ethical approval of a research projects should be completed and submitted to the EC. The EC will provide guidance and, where necessary, expedited approval. The EC may seek external specialist advice.

Where data are held or stored in relation to a project, the PI and other members of the project team must ensure full compliance with relevant data protection laws and principles. The terms of the ICOIS’s data protection policy should be observed for projects involving the collection and storage of new data.

If a formal ethics-related complaint is received from a participant in a research project, any work relating to that participant must cease until the complaint is resolved. The PI should forward to the EC the following:

(i) the complaint itself

(ii) a summary of the project

(iii) any documents given to participants before, during or after the project

(iv) the PI’s own assessment of the validity of the complaint

(v) what the PI proposes should be done

(vi) any changes to be made to avoid any future recurrence of the complaint.

The EC will deal with the matter promptly, if necessary, in between meetings, by circulation.

Download the ICOIS research ethics policy