Navigating the PhD – The Research Degrees Office

the Research Degrees Office (RDO) – What ? Who ? Where ? When ?

The RDO is the central College office to support all students pursuing research degrees at QMUL

Our responsibilities include:

• Enrolment• Your student record• TFL• Council Tax and other letters• Research Ethics• Support for milestones throughout PhD – including progression• Liaison with the UKBA• Examinations and thesis submission• General advice and referrals on to welfare and other services

the Research Degrees Office (RDO) – Who ?

Contact the Research Degrees Officer for your faculty in the first instance as follows:• HSS (EXCEPT English & Drama, and Geography) - Mr Peter Smith• HSS (English & Drama, and Geography ONLY) - Dr Katherine Inglis• S & E (EXCEPT EECS and Mathematics) - Ms Lucie Dubinik• S & E (EECS and Mathematics ONLY) - Mr Neil Rayment

Other staff include:• Research Degrees Officer for SMD• Management information Officer and Ethics Administrator• Assistant Academic Registrar for Research Degrees – Sue Carrette

• E15 in the Queens Building at Mile End

• How to contact us:• Come and visit!• Email• Web• Phone• Post

• Opening times:• Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday – 10.00 am – 4.00 pm• Tuesday – 11.00 am – 4.00 pm

the Research Degrees Office (RDO) Where ? When ?

Definition of Research

• Research is a systematic investigation which is carried out with the aim of developing or contributing to generalised knowledge

• In relation to human participants, this knowledge is obtained by way of the participant providing information, or performing actions in response to requests or interventions by the researchers.

What is ethical behaviour in the context of research?

• Ethical behaviour is an action which is carried out with due care to the welfare, rights and wishes of others.

• In relation to research this means that all studies must be carried out with honesty, integrity and due care to participants.

What actually is a Research Ethics Committee?

• “Any committee which has the power to give an unbeholden opinion about the ethical aspects of a research protocol involving human subjects is considered to be a Research Ethics Committee.”

• Association of Research Ethics Committees.

What is the role of a Research Ethics Committee?

• Their primary responsibility is to ensure that all research respects the dignity, rights and safety, as well as the well-being, of all research participants.

• To facilitate the good conduct of high quality research that offers benefits to participants, services and society as a whole.

How review helps researchers as well as protects participants.

• Encourages research in terms of funding applications and journal publication.

• Assists with the drafting of clearly thought out studies.

• Helps researchers to recruit the correct participants, in the correct numbers.

• Protects the reputation of the place where you work.

Research Ethics Review

What needs review and what does not.

When is review not needed?• Audit / service evaluation

When review is needed, what type of scrutiny is required?

• National (e.g. health service) or local (e.g. University)?

NHS Approval – do you need this ?• Are participants patients?• Are they participants due to their status as

a carer or a relative of a patient?• Will access to their medical records be

needed? • Will human tissue be collected / stored?• The use of NHS premises or facilities?• Are participants NHS staff?

Research Ethics Review

• Advice on successful and speedy applications

Possible Outcomes• Approval

• Approval with advice

• Conditional approval

• Deferment / Referral

• Rejection

Avoiding deferment and rejection

• Clarity of protocol.• All relevant documentation submitted.• Harm reduction, safety and monitoring

procedures clearly shown. • Ethical issues with individual protocol

identified and addressed.

Avoiding Conditional Approval• Common reasons for conditional approval.

a)Materials to participants unsatisfactory.b)Data Issuesc)Consent issuesd)Safety concernse)General research concernsf) Procedural concerns (i.e. study within remit of

committee?)

General Advice• Using the REC form as an aid to planning

research. • Ensuring that the study could be replicated

by someone reading the application.• Ensuring that the application can be

understood by non-specialists. • Making use of REC Administrators