Research Integrity and Ethics Support

All research involving living human participants and their data is subject to ethical review and approval.

This includes studies that involve direct interaction with individuals, such as interviews, questionnaires, focus groups, observations, and experimental procedures. It also includes the use of records or secondary data if those data contain information about living individuals who can be identified, either directly or indirectly.

Personal data is about living people which can be identified from that data and includes pseudonymised data.  Under the principles outlined within the Data Protection Act, any research which involves personal data about identifiable individuals requires ethical approval.

Any research using animals must comply with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 and ethical approval is required. Applications are reviewed separately by the University’s Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body.

Under the Human Tissue Act 2004, research involving the removal, storage, or use of human tissue requires ethical approval.  If you plan to use samples from a Research Tissue Bank (RTB), always check whether your specific research is covered by the RTB’s existing approval. While many RTBs hold general ethical approval for defined research types, this is not guaranteed. If your project falls outside the approved scope, or if no approval is in place. you’ll need to seek additional ethical review.

Even if no identifiable data is collected, researchers must still ensure informed consent, prevent unauthorised participation (e.g., by children or vulnerable adults), and comply with data protection laws.  Social media and online content (including in digital ethnography) require careful ethical consideration.

Public visibility does not mean free use, users may not expect their posts to be analysed for research. Ethical approval and consent may still be needed, especially where content is sensitive, identifiable or considered private. Researchers must also consider platform-specific terms of use, which may restrict data collection or reuse.

If your project may harm ecosystems, societies, or rare environments, its impact must be weighed against its long-term benefits, which requires ethics approval. Environmental risks include pollution, resource damage, ecosystem disruption, aesthetic harm, and impacts on future research or public concern.

Research that poses risks to the safety and wellbeing of research team members or other staff. For example, lone working, off campus activities (including NHS sites), travel to hazardous areas, and exposure to emotionally distressing or sensitive topics, may require ethical approval.

Research involving sensitive topics or cultural objects may require ethics approval due to potential reputational risks and ethical complexities. Key considerations include respecting cultural values as well as responsible acquisition and use of cultural objects. Particular attention should be given to provenance, historical injustices such as colonial looting, and concerns around extractivism. Researchers must also manage any conflicts of interest that could affect the integrity of the research. Special arrangements may be needed when working with Indigenous knowledge(s) to ensure appropriate recognition, consent, and protection.

Data from service or teaching evaluations may sometimes result in research outputs. If researchers anticipate that their project might produce publishable findings (whether through conference presentations, blogs, websites, journals, or books), they are advised to seek ethical approval at the outset. Retrospective ethical approval cannot be granted, and without prior approval, dissemination of the data beyond the original evaluation purpose is not permitted.

Research conducted outside the UK requires review by the relevant University of Leeds ethics committee and must comply with both UK and host country ethical and legal standards. Researchers should use Trusted Research guidance to assess and manage risks related to local contexts, including cultural norms, legislation, and political environments.

All approvals obtained from other institutions or countries but conducted under the University of Leeds banner must undergo University ethics committee scrutiny before data collection begins.

While using or developing AI in research alone does not require ethical review, other aspects of your project may. Ethical concerns around AI include bias, unclear accountability, and broader societal impacts. Risks may involve informed consent, data disclosure, ownership of data by AI tools, inaccurate outputs, and conflicts of interest. Researchers should carefully consider these issues and the level of risk when planning their work. As this is an evolving area, consult the University’s research ethics website to ensure your use of AI aligns with current policy and guidance.