Guidance

This page provides links to the key legislation and guidance documents relating to research ethics in British Universities. Guidance on several important pieces of legislation and ethics processes is available below:

• NHS National Research Ethics Service review
• Human Tissue Act 2004
• Data Protection Act 2018
• Export Control Legislation

Further guidance is available on the resources pages of this site.

Clinical School Guidance

Researchers undertaking research at the Clinical School should also read the research and information governance guidance provided by the School:

• Clinical School Research Governance
• Clinical School Information Governance

Guidance on involvement of human participants in technology research

The Cambridge Working Group on Human Participants in Technology and Physical Science research has prepared extensive guidance on the conduct of technology research with human participants for Cambridge researchers.

External guidance

Researchers are also advised to familiarise themselves with ethics guidance documents relevant to their subject area. Some documents that may be of interested are listed below:

Research Council guidance

• BBSRC Safeguarding Good Scientific Practice
• BBSRC statements on issues of public interest
• Economic and Social Research Council: Framework for Research Ethics
• Medical Research Council: Research Policy and Ethics

Professional Associations Guidance

• Academy of Management Code of Ethics
• American Political Science Association Guide to Professional Ethics in Political Science
• Association of American Geographers: Statement on Professional Ethics
• Association of Social Anthropologists of the UK and Commonwealth: Ethical Guidelines
• British Academy: Code of Practice for Consideration of Research Proposals
• British Educational Research Association Ethical Guidelines for Educational Research
• The British Psychological Society: Code of Ethics and Conduct
• The British Sociological Association: Statement of Ethical Practice
• British Society of Criminology: Code of Ethics for Researchers in the Field of Criminology
• Oral History Society of the UK Ethical Guidelines
• Political Studies Association, Guidelines for Good Professional Conduct
• Royal Geographical Society: Research Ethics and Code of Practice
• Social Research Association: Ethical Guidelines
• Socio-Legal Studies Association: Statement of Principles of Ethical Research Practice

Additional guidance

• The Council for Industry and Higher Education: Managing Ethical Issues in Higher Education
• The Nuffield Council on Bioethics
• The RESPECT Code of Practice for socio-economic research in Europe