SAgE Faculty Ethics Committee – training materials

Applicant Name: Thomas Sproule

Applicant email: t.h.sproule@ncl.ac.uk
Academic Unit School of Computing Science
Supervisor email (if
steve.riddle@ncl.ac.uk
available)
Category Student Project
An investigation into natural language processing and
Project Title: discreet evidence gathering in a bid to raising the
awareness of cyber abuse
Start / End Date 12-12-2014 - 08-05-2015
MyProjects Reference
(if available)
Reviewer 1

Name:

Date sent:

Date comments
received:
Reviewer 2

Name:

Date sent:

Date comments
received:
Date comments
provided to
researcher:
Date researcher
confirmed
amendments made:
Faculty final approval
date:
Notes

Best wishes

Policy & Information Team, Newcastle University

The following answers were given by the participant:

Response ID 151
SAgE Faculty Ethics Committee – training materials

Date submitted 02-12-2014 13:11:27

Last page 13
Start language English
Date started 02-12-2014 12:42:03
Date last action 02-12-2014 13:11:27
Applicant Details
Is this approval for a: Student Project [A2]
What type of degree programme is being
Undergraduate Degree (e.g. BA / BSc) [A1]
studied?
Name of Principal Researcher Thomas Sproule
Please enter your email address t.h.sproule@ncl.ac.uk
Please select your school / academic unit School of Computing Science [AA6]
Please enter the module code CSC3095
Please enter the supervisor email: steve.riddle@ncl.ac.uk
Please enter the supervisor's school / unit School of Computing Science [AA6]
Project Details
An investigation into natural language
Project Title processing and discreet evidence gathering in a
bid to raising the awareness of cyber abuse
The project aims to discuss ways in which new
technologies may be used to combat and raise
awareness of cyber bullying. More specifically, I
will be investigating the uses of natural language
Project Synopsis processing to detect forms of abuse in streams of
text. As a result of these discussions, I hope to
develop a prototype application which processes
information gathered in a discreet manner, to
combat cyber bullying.
Project start date 12-12-2014
Project end date 08-05-2015
Is the project externally funded? No [A3]
Does you project involve collaborators
No [N]
outside of the University?
High risk areas flagged at preliminary review
Animals
NHS
Humans in a non-clinical setting Yes [Y]
Environment
Data Yes [Y]
International (outside the EEA)
Existing Ethics, Sponsorship & Responsibility
SAgE Faculty Ethics Committee – training materials

Has ethical approval to cover this proposal

No [N]
already been obtained?
Will anyone be acting as sponsor under the
NHS Research Governance Framework for No [N]
Health and Social Care?
Do you have a Newcastle upon Tyne
No [N]
Hospital (NUTH) reference?
Will someone other than you (the principal
investigator) or your supervisor (for
student projects) be responsible for the No [N]
conduct, management and design of the
research?
Project Outline & Proposed Research Methods
During project research, I will be making use of
a number of research articles and past papers to
study the correlation between smartphone use
and cyber bullying within a range of societies.
Part of the research for this project will require
me to carry out surveys within schools across the
United Kingdom.

The aim of this research will be to provide a

better understanding of smartphone ownership
figures, bullying statistics (including forms of
bullying experienced, sexual, discrimination,
flaming etc.) and communication methods used
Project Outline & Aims if/when experiencing cyber bullying. (Text
messaging, Email, phone calls etc.). In turn, the
research will aid me in designing the prototype
In everyday language, briefly explain the application which will function in such a way as
aims of this research including the to combat cyber bullying.
anticipated benefits and risks. In cases
where the use of technical or discipline Using surveys as a research method poses
specific terms is unavoidable, please various risks to both the survey participants, as
explain their meaning clearly. well as myself and Newcastle University, all of
which I will be addressing fully throughout this
application.

Surveys will be designed using the Newcastle

University survey builder. One potential risk of
this is maintaining the confidentiality of
participant’s identities. All questionnaires will
remain completely anonymous and I will not be
disclosing any information about the schools of
pupils who participated during the research for
this project.
All data gathered through the research should be
kept secret and stored in a secure location to
SAgE Faculty Ethics Committee – training materials

protect against theft or data loss. Questionnaires

should also be designed in such a way as to not
cause distress to survey participants. Since the
topic of bullying can be a sensitive subject for
some, all questions should be optional and
participants must first give consent before taking
part. Survey questionnaires will offer advice to
participants on how to tackle bullying.

Advice should be taken from an official source

such as Anti-Bullying-Alliance.com and should
be checked by supervisors and gatekeepers
before being sent to survey participants.
Statistical research should be carried out in a
careful and controlled manner as to not pose
risks to participants and other parties.

1) Paper based questionnaires will be designed

together with a covering letter to be sent to the
Head of schools. Questionnaires will consist of
scalar, multiple choice and open based questions.
An introduction at the start of the questionnaire
will provide participants with information about
the project and how their participation will
contribute to the project.
2) Both the questionnaire and covering letter will
Proposed Research Methods (Experimental be sent to the projects supervisor for review.
Design). 3) Any changes required should be made to both
the questionnaire and covering letter.
In everyday language, please provide an 4) The questionnaire will be transcribed into
outline of the research methods in a clear Forms.ncl.
step by step chronological order. Noting 5) A copy of this ethical approval form, together
any pertinent information such as whether with the questionnaire and covering letter
the research involves overseas partners and inviting schools to take part in the research, will
how you will handle the research data. be sent to the head of schools.
6) Schools that are willing to take part in the
research will be sent the digital version of the
survey which may be viewed on mobile phones.
A closing date will be also be arranged where by
all survey questionnaires should be completed.
7) All data gathered will be carefully analysed
using the tools available through the Newcastle
University survey builder tool, Forms.ncl. All
data will be stored within a secure location for
the duration of the project. See data management
plan for more information.

Humans in a Non-Clinical setting

SAgE Faculty Ethics Committee – training materials

Participant Details

Does the research specifically target participants recruited who are:

Adults (over 18 years old and competent to
Yes [A1]
give consent)
Children / Legal minors (anyone under 18
Yes [A1]
years old)
People from non-English speaking
No [A2]
backgrounds
Persons incapable of giving consent No [A2]
Prisoners or parolees No [A2]
Recruited through a gatekeeper Yes [A1]
Welfare recipients No [A2]
How many participants do you plan to
240
recruit?
Pupils aged 13-20 from 4-6 schools based in the
From which source and, by what means do United Kingdom. The online survey may also be
you plan to recruit your particpants? sent to University students aged 18+ who are
able to give consent.
Partipant Information
Will you inform participants that their
Yes [A1]
participation is voluntary?
Will you inform participants that they may
withdraw from the research at any time and Yes [A1]
for any reason?
Will you inform participants that their data
will be treated with full confidentiality and
Yes [A1]
that, if published, it will not be identifiable
as theirs?
Will you provide an information sheet
which includes the contact details of the Yes [A1]
researcher / research team?
Will you obtain written consent for
Yes [A1]
participation?
Will you debrief participants at the end of
their participation (i.e. give them an
Yes [A1]
explanation of the study aims and
hypotheses)?
Will you provide participants with a
Yes [A1]
written debriefing too?
Participant Information II
If you are using a questionnaire, will you
give participants the option of omitting Yes [A1]
questions that they do not want to answer?
SAgE Faculty Ethics Committee – training materials

If your work is experimentally based, will

you describe the main experimental
procedures to the participants in advance Not applicable [A3]
so that they are informed about what to
expect?
If the research is observational, will you
ask participants for their consent to being Not applicable [A3]
observed?
Participant Consent

Please describe the arrangements you are All participants should be given the option to
making to inform potential participants, participate in the survey. This choice should be
before providing consent, of what is made by both the gatekeeper and the pupil. In
involved in participating in your study and this case, the gatekeeper for the research will be
the use of any identifiable data, and the Head of school or Head Teacher who may
whether you have any reasons for act on behalf of pupils. Written confirmation of
withholding particular information. Due the invitation acceptance should be received
consideration must be given to the from the gatekeeper before carrying out any
possibility that the provision of financial or research. All participants will be asked to read
other incentives may impair participants’ through and agree to the consent form if they
ability to consent voluntarily. wish to partake in the study.

Participant Consent II
The questionnaire will state within the
introduction that participants should not disclose
Participants should be able to provide
any personal information about themselves,
written consent. Please describe the
other pupils within the school or the school in
arrangements you are making for
general. The questionnaire will brief pupils with
participants to provide their full consent
the aim of the project and provide contact details
before data collection begins. If you think
for the lead scientist. The questionnaires will
gaining consent in this way is
also inform pupils on how specific answers
inappropriate for your project, please
given may be used for research within the
explain how consent will be obtained and
project during the introduction and debriefing
recorded. (A copy of your consent form
sections. All participants are reminded that they
must be provided with your submitted
are able to withdraw from the research at any
application)
time and may skip questions they do not wish to
answer during the survey.

Participant Debriefing At the end of the questionnaire, the debriefing

section should describe how the answers
It is a researcher’s obligation to ensure that provided will contribute to the projects research.
all participants are fully informed of the It should also explain that project aims to build
aims and methodology of the project, that on the results by developing an application that
they feel respected and appreciated after combats instances of bullying as witnessed by
they leave the study, and that they do not participants. Participants will again be reminded
experience significant levels of stress, that they are able to withdraw from the research
discomfort, or unease in relation to the at any time and that all data will remain
research project. Please describe whether, anonymous and confidential. If in any way
SAgE Faculty Ethics Committee – training materials

when, and how participants will be participants feel they have been affected by the
debriefed. (A copy of your debriefing sheet study, contact details for the lead scientist,
must be provided with your submitted supervisors and school of computer science,
application) have been listed within the debriefing section.

Possible risks to participants could include: Lost

or theft of data - In the case of Forms.ncl
undergoing a cyber-attack, the university or
hosting company may be held responsible.
Depending on the severity of the attack, the
schools may be informed.

All data should be anonymous, it should be

impossible to deduce the identity of an
individual by analysing survey results. Mental
distress in answering questions - Although
Potential risk to participants and risk
questions relating to bullying will be worded in
management procedures
such a way as to not cause mental distress, all
questions will be optional and participants can
Identify, as far as possible, all potential
withdraw from the survey at any time.
risks (small and large) to participants (e.g.
physical, psychological, etc.) that may be
In the case a participant feels they have been
associated with the proposed research.
affected by the questions in anyway, contact
Please explain any risk management
details have been added to the survey for getting
procedures that will be put in place and
in touch with the lead scientist.
attach any risk assessments or other
supporting documents. Please answer as
Risk of individuals disclosing personal
fully as possible.
information of others - It will be clearly stated
during the introduction to the survey that
participants should not disclose any personal
information about themselves, others or the
school in general.

Although the on-line survey should be designed

in such a way to restrict individuals disclosing
personal information, In the case personal
information is provided, it should be ignored in
the survey and the data may be destroyed.
Data
Please describe how data will be accessed,
how participants' confidentiality will be
protected and any other considerations.
Information must be provided on the full
data lifecycle, from collection to archive.
Please see the attached data management plan.
Alternatively please send a copy of your
data management plan to the ethics
committee. Please note that you plan to do
this in the box below.
SAgE Faculty Ethics Committee – training materials

Permissions
Please use the table below to record details of any licenses or permissions required and / or
applied for e.g. Local Authority District, Natural England etc. Ensure you include the
reference, status and the date it was granted (if applicable).
1.[Permission / License]
1.[Award Body]
1.[Reference Number]
1.[Date of Permission]
1.[Status e.g. Granted / Pending]
2.[Permission / License]
2.[Award Body]
2.[Reference Number]
2.[Date of Permission]
2.[Status e.g. Granted / Pending]
3.[Permission / License]
3.[Award Body]
3.[Reference Number]
3.[Date of Permission]
3.[Status e.g. Granted / Pending]
4.[Permission / License]
4.[Award Body]
4.[Reference Number]
4.[Date of Permission]
4.[Status e.g. Granted / Pending]
5.[Permission / License]
5.[Award Body]
5.[Reference Number]
5.[Date of Permission]
5.[Status e.g. Granted / Pending]
Risk Considerations & Insurance
What are the potential risks to the
researchers themselves? This may include:
personal safety issues, such as those related
Although the potential risks to project
to lone working, out of normal hours
researchers are minimal, if visiting schools, the
working or to visiting participants in their
risks of travel accidents should be considered.
homes; travel arrangements, including
This should not require a risk assessment as
overseas travel; and working in unfamiliar
public transport will be rarely used to travel
environments. Please explain any risk
short distances.
management procedures that will be put in
place and note whether you will be
providing any risk assessments or other
SAgE Faculty Ethics Committee – training materials

supporting documents.
Supporting Documentation
Please specify which documents you will be supplying in support of your documentation.
Participant consent form Yes [Y]
Participant information sheet Yes [Y]
Participant debriefing document Yes [Y]
Questionnaire(s) Y es [Y]
Outline protocol
Project risk assessment
Travel risk assessment
Original ethical assessment / other ethical
review forms
Data management plan Yes [Y]
Peer review evidence (internal / unfunded)
Local permissions / licenses
None
Other Research invitation covering letter
Summary and Submission
Principle Investigator Name: Student
Project
Project title: An investigation into natural
language processing and discreet evidence
gathering in a bid to raising the awareness
of cyber abuse
Your project has been flagged as requiring
further assessment due to the following
flag(s):

Humans in a non-clinical setting

Data

Your project has been identified as high risk and must be reviewed by the Faculty of Science,
Agriculture & Engineering Ethical Review Committee before it begins.

Once you have submitted the application, please print it and send it together with any
supporting documentation to SAGE.ethics@ncl.ac.uk
SAgE Faculty Ethics Committee – training materials

Declaration

I certify that:
the information contained within this
Yes [Y]
application is accurate.
the research will be undertaken in line with
all appropriate, University, legal and local Yes [Y]
standards and regulations.
I have attempted to identify the risks that
may arise in conducting this research and
Yes [Y]
acknowledge my obligation to (and rights
of) any participants.
no work will begin until all appropriate
Yes [Y]
permissions are in place.