Research Participants

All research invoving human participants (and/or their data) should be favourably reviewed by a Research Ethics Committee before the research starts.

Research studies involving human participants should ensure that the safety, rights, dignity and welfare of all research participants are protected. Participants should be fully aware of the purpose of the research, be free to take part without coercion or penalty and be able to withdraw without giving a reason and without the threat of any adverse effect.  

If you are taking part in research you should have been given detailed information about the research study that you are participating in.  There should also be a contact name and email should wish to withdraw from the research study or have any complaints.  If you do wish to withdraw or discuss the study but are unable to locate the contact details, please contact the Research Ethics and Governance Team on cgr-reg@exeter.ac.uk who will try and help. 

University policies 

The university’s Research Ethics framework ensures ethical principles are upheld. Please see our Policies page for further reading. 

The information provided to participants about each research study should also give details of the way that your information will be used. You can also find a copy of our privacy notice for research participants here. 

Lay membership  

Lay or independent members (with no other affiliation to the University) bring a different and varied set of perspectives to discussions in Research Ethics Committees, helping to mitigate potential conflicts of interest, ensuring sufficient impartial scrutiny and considering whether processes are effective in maintaining appropriate checks and balances.  It can be an interesting and rewarding voluntary role, providing an opportunity to hear about a wide range of research projects. 

The Independent Member Role Description  sets out the general requirements of a lay member.  If you would be interested in becoming a lay member of an ethics committee, please contact the Research Ethics and Governance Team cgr-reg@exeter.ac.uk for further information.