Researching in your own work setting

The following questions should be copied into Section B5 (Study Design) of the application form and answered directly underneath the question:

1. If you are in a position of authority (of any kind) in your setting, how will you manage potential power relationships, conflicts of interest and protect others from the possible or potential negative consequences?
   
2. Apart from convenience, justify why you should conduct this research in your own settings. Also state the potential benefits to your colleagues, clients, employees.
   
3. What are the potential or possible risks to the participants now and in the future?
   
4. How, particularly in settings with small numbers of participants, will you retain confidentiality and/or anonymity?
   
5. How will you mitigate the conflict of interest in information you are able to access as a staff member as opposed to information you gather as a researcher?
   
6. How will you ensure that participation is voluntary and that potential participants do not feel under any pressure to participate?
   
7. When working with colleagues, how will you incorporate ways that your participants can withdraw from your study without any negative effects upon their employment or their relationships with their employer, you, and other colleagues?
   
8. When working with your own clients or students, how will you incorporate ways that your participants can withdraw from your study? How will you ensure that they are free to withdraw without any negative effects upon their grades or future status with you as someone who may continue to work with them once the research is concluded?

You should attach copies of any permissions and agreements that have already been secured from the setting to do the work.
 

From Section 11.10 and 11.11 of the Applicants’ Reference Manual (2019), page 63-64

Please refer to the Human Ethics website for information relating to research involving human participants.