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Research Ethics

Trinity Laban ensures that appropriate governance procedures and mechanisms are in place to oversee research involving human participants. To ensure research is conducted in a professional and ethical manner our research should follow the ethical principles of:

  • integrity
  • honesty
  • confidentiality
  • voluntary participation
  • avoidance of personal risk to individuals or social groups.

Informed consent needs to be understood by both researchers and Trinity Laban’s Research Ethics Committees in light of the context, aims and objectives of each project.

Our ethical principles for conducting research with human participants

In all circumstances, researchers, including individuals undertaking postgraduate research, must consider the ethical implications and psychological consequences for the participants in their research.

Research should be considered from the standpoint of all participants and foreseeable threats to their psychological well-being, health, values or dignity should be eliminated.

Care should be taken when research involves individuals of different age, gender, social, cultural or ethnic background to the researcher/s. The researcher should acknowledge that they may not have sufficient knowledge of the implications of any investigation for the participants and that the best judge of whether an investigation will cause offence may be members of the population from which the participants in the research are to be drawn.

All activities that have a potential ethical implication should be forwarded to the Trinity Laban Research Ethics Committee for consideration.

The Secretary for this Committee is Sara Pay: s.pay@trinitylaban.ac.uk

Code of best practice for research

  • Research should be designed, reviewed and undertaken in a way that ensures its integrity and quality. 
  • Research staff and participants must be informed fully about the purpose, methods and intended possible uses of the research, what their participation in the research entails and what risks, if any, are involved. Informed consent entails giving as much information as possible about the research so that prospective participants can make an informed decision on their possible involvement. 
  • The confidentiality of information supplied by research participants and the anonymity of respondents must be respected. 
  • Research participants must participate in a voluntary way, free from any coercion.
  • Harm to research participants must be avoided.
  • Parental/guardian consent must be sought for research participants under the age of 18 years old. 
  • The independence and impartiality of researchers must be clear, and any conflicts of interest or partiality must be explicit. 
  • Participants in collaborative research should at all times follow best practice as regards the accreditation of the work of others. 

Research and the internet

The British Psychological Society (BPS) Ethics guidelines are a useful tool on the additional ethical considerations of conducting research that uses the internet.

BPS Ethics Guidelines

External researchers

If you are an external researcher considering a request to involve Trinity Laban staff or students in your research, please read our guidelines on research ethics for external researchers.

 

Conservatoires UK ethics

If you undertake research involving the participation of people at any CUK institution, please refer to the CUK ethics guidance.

CUK ethics guidelines

Further guidelines

These documents and important further guidance on research ethics are available for Trinity Laban staff and students on Moodle.

Explore our research guidelines on Moodle

Trinity Laban Research Ethics Committee for Ethical Approval

Applications to the Trinity Laban Research Ethics Committee for Ethical Approval:

Introduction

Research Involving Human Participants

Performance Ethics / Health & Safety

Guidelines for Ethical Approval Application:

Research Involving Human Participants