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Research Data Management (RDM): Research Ethics

Research Ethics at Unisa

Research Ethics are a vital part of any research undertaking intended to safeguard the dignity, safety and welfare of prospective human participants, animals, communities, institutions and environments.

  1. Research ethics' objectives aim to enable researchers to maintain ethically responsible research practices. Objectives
  2. The guidelines for ethics review outline the terms of reference of Unisa Ethics Review Committees and the procedure for ethics review at Unisa. 2.1 Unisa Guidelies for Ethics Review 2.2 Eithics in Health Research: Principles, Processes and Structures (DOH 2015)
  3. The Unisa Policy on Research Ethics is not intended to restrict research at Unisa. On the contrary, the Policy aims to make ethics an integral part of research. Policy on Research Ethics
  4. Class approvals refer to research ethics applications and the review of research projects with human participants, conducted by students as part of a course module or assignment. Guidelines for research involving class approvals
  5. The Standard Operating Procedure for Research Ethics Risk Assessment provides a framework for researchers, supervisors and Unisa Ethics Research Committees to conduct research ethics risk assessment as part of the application process. SOP Risk assessment
  6. The information sheet and informed consent template for qualitative and quantitative research provide a guideline to assist researchers to adhere to high standards relevant to obtaining voluntary informed consent. Informed Consent Template
  7. The cover letter template provides guidance to researchers to adhere to high standards relevant to obtaining voluntary informed consent when compiling an anonymous web-based survey. Cover Letter Anonymous
  8. Terms of Reference explain the role of Ethics Review Committees in the promotion of ethical research at Unisa. Terms of reference
  9. The full range of application forms required to conduct ethical research is listed per College. Application forms
  10. For more information about research ethics clearance at Unisa please contact the Department of Research Administration

Informed Consent

“Informed consent is an ethical requirement for most research and must be considered and implemented throughout the research lifecycle, from planning to publication. Gaining consent must include making provision for sharing data and take into account any immediate or future uses of data…. Contrary to what some researchers or research participants believe, even sensitive materials can be shared ethically. At a minimum consent forms should not preclude data sharing, such as promising to destroy data unnecessarily.” See more at UK Data Archive 

Core principles:

  • consent must be freely given with sufficient detail to indicate what participating in the study will involve
  • there must be active communication between the parties - what is expected from participants and why their participation is required
  • documentation outlining consent has to differentiate between consent to participate and consent to allow data to be published and shared; view a sample information sheet 
  • consent cannot be inferred from a non-response to a communication such as a letter or invitation to participate.

Publishing & Sharing Sensitive Data

The Australian National Data Service (ANDS) has made available a useful decision tree on publishing and sharing sensitive data. Their website also contains a lot of useful information, including a guide and presentation.

Anonymisation

“Before data obtained from research with people can be shared with other researchers or archived, you may need to anonymise them so that individuals, organisations or businesses cannot be identified… Re-users of data have the same legal and ethical obligation to NOT disclose confidential information as primary users. ” See more at UK Data Archive. 

Procedures to anonymise data should always be considered alongside obtaining informed consent for data sharing or imposing access restrictions.

A person's identity can be disclosed from:

  • direct identifiers such as names, addresses, postcode information, telephone numbers or pictures
  • indirect identifiers which, when linked with other publicly available information sources, could identify someone, e.g. information on workplace, occupation or exceptional values of characteristics like salary or age

Anonymising research data can be time consuming and therefore costly. Early planning can help reduce the costs.

For more information and guidance on both quantitative and qualitative anonymisation please refer to:

UK Data Archive 

UK Anonymisation Network: offers practical advice and information to anyone who handles personal data and needs to share it. 

Finnish Social Science Data Archive 

Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) QualAnon qualitative anonymisation tool

Anonymisation case studies, techniques and guidance from The UK Information Commissioner's Office's Anonymisation Code of Practice (November, 2012) 

UK Anonymisation Network (UKAN) resources 

General Medical Council (GMC). (2012). GMC Confidentiality guidance.