All research (including PGR student) needs to have a favourable ethical opinion (ethics approval) before any research data collection commences. Broadly, projects which do not involve human or animal participants (for example library or literature-based research) may only need to complete Project Registration to confirm ethical issues have been considered.  Projects involving human or animal participants will normally need to complete a full ethics application. Both applications are accessed via the LEAS site. This can be accessed via lncn.ac/leas.

In preparing your submission for ethical review you should work closely with your supervisory team, who will have experience of potential ethical, legal or management issues associated with your area of research.

Your academic supervisor must sign your ethics application, please therefore allow sufficient time for this.

If your work is in a new area or involves new techniques then you will need to complete a new application, in collaboration with your supervisory team. If your work is part of an on-going project or builds on research that has already received a favourable ethical opinion, then it may be addressed by an amendment to existing ethics application. If you are unsure please speak to your supervisory team in the first instance. 

An ethics application does not need to be submitted for your PGR Confirmation of Studies however you should give consideration to any ethical, legal or management issues and mitigate against these when planning your research.

Further information may be found in the Research Ethics Guide: https://lncn.ac/ethics_hb