Who reviews my application?

Applications requiring the review of at least two committee members involve any of the following (extracted from the ESRC's Research Ethics Framework):

• research involving vulnerable groups – for example, children and young people, those with a learning disability or cognitive impairment, or individuals in a dependent or unequal relationship
• research involving sensitive topics – for example participants' sexual behaviour, their illegal or political behaviour, their experience of violence, their abuse or exploitation, their mental health, or their gender or ethnic status
• research involving groups where permission of a gatekeeper is normally required for initial access to members – for example, ethnic or cultural groups, native peoples or indigenous communities
• research involving deception or which is conducted without participants' (or participants' legal guardians') full and informed consent at the time the study is carried out
• research involving access to records of personal or confidential information, including genetic or other biological information, concerning identifiable individuals
• research which would induce psychological stress, anxiety or humiliation or cause more than minimal pain
• research involving intrusive interventions – for example, the administration of drugs or other substances, vigorous physical exercise, or techniques such as hypnotherapy
• research involving use of assessment procedures which may unveil psychological or physical problems of which your participants might be unaware and which may endanger their present or future well-being (e.g., clinical tools such as MMSE, ACE-R, HADS or other standard tests used as clinical screens).

PREC members may not review any application with which they are associated.