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Session contents

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What is ‘ethical research?’

Ethical research respects human rights, avoids unnecessary risk to people’s safety and wellbeing and is compliant with the law.

It is described by UK Research and Innovation as

‘the moral principles and practices guiding research, from its inception through to completion and publication of results and beyond’.

Ensuring research is ethical is all about protecting those involved – including research participants, public contributors and researchers.

How can you design ‘ethical research?’

Some questions to ask when developing a new research project:

What is the overall benefit of this research?
Is it clear who is conducting the research and why?
Do those taking part understand what being involved means? Do they understand that participation is voluntary and that they can withdraw from the research if they change their mind?
Have measures been put in place to ensure the confidentiality of those taking part?
How will the psychological wellbeing of those taking part be protected? What burden is being placed on research participants?
Have power imbalances been considered? How can we ensure this research is not extractive?

How can you support ethical research as a public contributor?

Some of the ways in which public contributors can help make research more ethical are by:

Identifying the research topics that matter the most to communities and could have the biggest benefit.

Co-designing and reviewing communication materials to ensure these are accessible and clear for those taking part in research (ensuring informed consent).

Identifying how to make taking part in research a more comfortable experience for research participants and the support that they may need before, during or after taking part.

Scenario 1:

A local university receives funding to study how outdoor public spaces are used in different neighbourhoods. The goal is to help councils design better urban planning for health for example, building more walking trails or community spaces.
Researchers set up a project using existing CCTV footage from three public parks in areas with high levels of deprivation. The footage helped them count how many people were active in the space at different times of day. No names or faces were recorded.
Community groups later heard about the project and raised concerns. Residents said they felt watched and uncomfortable, even though they weren’t identified. Some said they would have preferred to be asked, and felt their privacy was disrespected.

Scenario 2:

In response to rising rates of childhood obesity, a local public health team collaborates with primary schools to evaluate children’s lunch choices. They record the contents of lunchboxes during school hours, anonymously, and observe cafeteria purchases.
No names were recorded, but the research team did not send detailed letters to parents. They assumed data was non-identifiable and that general consent from the school was sufficient.
After results were published in a report, local media covered the story with headlines like “Parents Failing to Pack Healthy Lunches.” Several parents were upset, saying they weren’t informed and felt publicly shamed.

Scenario 3:

A funded project evaluates whether bereavement support services met the needs of families during the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers invite people who have lost loved ones to participate in virtual focus groups.
Although participation was voluntary, researchers didn’t offer support lines or clearly state how emotional the discussion might be. Some participants found it overwhelming, with one needing to leave the session halfway.
One participant later wrote to say she wished she'd known how emotional it would be. Another said it brought back painful memories, and she felt “ambushed.”

Ethical review processes at this local authority

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Further guidance and training

Link to resources available on SCPH training website

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