Section outline

  • Course Overview

    This course provides a comprehensive guide to ethical approval in research. It covers the importance of ethics in research design, the role of gatekeepers, and the application of core ethical concepts. You'll learn to design and complete necessary paperwork, navigate the approval process, and finalize submissions with confidence, ensuring your research meets ethical standards. 

    Learning Outcomes

    This course will help you to:

    1. Describe what we mean by ethical approval in relation to research  
    2. Effectively incorporate key ethical principles to meet the requirements for ethical approval  
    3. Recognize the role that gatekeepers may play in facilitating ethical approval and access to your field setting  
    4. Design and complete the paperwork required to support your ethical approval, including information sheets and consent forms  
    5. Successfully finalize your ethical approval submission with confidence and insight   

    • Course Instructor: Professor Julie Scott Jones

      • Professor Julie Scott Jones

        Professor Julie Scott Jones is a professor of Sociology in the Department of Sociology at Manchester Metropolitan University.  Julie is the founder and former director of the Manchester Metropolitan Q-Step Centre, which received £1.15 million in funding from the Nuffield Foundation-ESRC-HEFCE, to innovate in quantitative research methods and increase the number of students trained in these methods. She has co-authored journal articles on the pedagogy of quantitative methods teaching; edited a five-volume collection on research ethics in practice (2016); and co-authored the textbook ‘Exploratory and Descriptive Statistics’ (2021).  Julie currently teaches on undergraduate quantitative research methods modules, with a particular interest in quantitative data analysis.

        View Bio for Professor Julie Scott Jones

      • Pre-Course Self Assessment

        Before you dive into this course, spend a few moments reflecting on your familiarity with the topic and your current level of skills confidence.

        You will then re-visit the same questions in our Post-Course Self Assessment and reflect on how the course has helped you develop in confidence and grow your skills.

        • Module One: Why Do I Need Ethical Approval?

          This module will help you to: 

          1. Explain the concept of ethics in detail    
          2. Recognize the links between legal, professional, and moral frameworks  
          3. Evaluate unethical and ethical practice  

        • Module Two: Considering Ethics in My Research Design

          This module will help you to:  

          1. Describe what we mean by ethical approval in relation to research  
          2. Incorporate ethical considerations throughout the research process  
          3. Recognize the role that gatekeepers may play in facilitating ethical approval and access to your field setting  

        • Module Three: Core Concepts at The Heart of Ethical Approval

          This module will help you to:  

          1. Apply essential ethical concepts to facilitate the ethical approval process
          2. Demonstrate how core concepts relate to and support research design  
          3. Effectively incorporate key ethical principles to meet the requirements for ethical approval  

        • Module Four: How Do I Get Ethical Approval?

          This module will help you to:  

          1. Design and complete the paperwork required to support your ethical approval, including information sheets and consent forms  
          2. Successfully finalize your ethical approval submission with confidence and insight   

        • Glossary of Key Terms

          In addition to the glossary you’ll find woven throughout the course, you can find the full glossary collated in one place here.

        • Post-Course Self Assessment

          Now you’ve completed the course, spend a few moments reflecting on where your familiarity with the topics and your confidence skills levels are at now. 

          Has the course helped you develop new skills and grow your confidence?

          You'll need to complete the Post-Course Self Assessment in order to download your certificate. If you didn't do the Pre-Course Self Assessment before starting the course, please go to the top of the page and reflect on your familiarity with the topic and your level of skills confidence before you started the course.

          • Completion: Certificate

            Completing all modules (plus the pre and post-course assessments) will unlock the course certificate, which you can then download here. Your course certificate will only be made available once you have completed all these sections.

            If you have difficulty accessing your certificate, please contact the Sage support team at: onlinesupport@sagepub.co.uk. You can also check out this FAQ page which may be helpful.

            • Give Feedback About This Course

              Did you enjoy the course? Please take two minutes to share your feedback. We use learner feedback in future course updates and developments to provide an excellent learning experience.

            • Accessibility

              We have high standards of accessibility on Sage Campus and as of May/June 2024 all activities within this course are keyboard and screen reader compatible. For more details on accessibility standards, please see the Sage Campus Accessibility Guide.

              For those using assistive technology, please note that within this course:

              • Tab components: JAWS and NVDA behave slightly differently. For NVDA to keep reading, it is best to exit focus mode and go back to browse mode. 
              • Matching: JAWS does not read out question label on dropdown focus.