UCL regards it as fundamental that research should be conducted according to ethical guidelines.
UCL interprets ethical issues broadly including amongst others:
- the relevant codes of practice (according to the research discipline)
- the involvement of human participants, tissue or data in research
- the use of animals in research
- research that may result in damage to the environment
- the use of sensitive economic, social or personal data
- the acquisition, storage and disposal of historical artefacts
Academic research involving one or more of the bullet points above will likely require ethical review before any work can commence.ÌýResearchers are also expected to read and abide byÌýUCL's Code of Conduct for Research (seeÌý‘Your Responsibilities throughout the research lifecycle’Ìýsection for more information) as well as other UCL policy and guidance as relevant.
- UCL's Code of Conduct for Research,ÌýYour Responsibilities throughout the research lifecycle’
Compliance with requirements
UCL considers that failure to gain appropriate approvals and permissions before starting a project with ethical implications could amount to research misconduct (see UCL's procedure for investigating and resolving allegations of misconduct in academic research) and may lead to disciplinary action.