Research Ethics: School of Histories and Humanities
Ethics approval is required for all research conducted by staff members and students involving human subjects. Approval must be obtained prior to the commencement of data collection and cannot be applied for or granted retrospectively. Obtaining prior ethical approval for research involving human participants is an essential requirement for all dissertations. Before you start your research confirm that you need ethical approval. Please consult the supporting information on this process on the Trinity Research website.
Staff, Postdoctoral Fellows, and PhD Students
It is university policy that all staff, postdoctoral fellows, and PhD Students must apply through the Research Ethics Administration Management System (REAMS). Click here for more information and a link to the REAMs system. Please note that Ethics Approval applications are accepted on a rolling basis during the academic year until Tuesday 6 May 2025. Applications will not be reviewed during the Summer Research period.
Other Current Students
If you are an M. Phil or undergraduate student wishing to carry out research involving human subjects you need to apply via the School’s Ethics Committee. You will need to complete the School’s Ethics Application Form here. Please liaise with your supervisor when completing this form and ensure that they sign off on it before you submit to the School’s Ethics Committee. Once you have completed this application and your supervisor has signed off on it, please email it to the Director of Research and Chair of the School’s Ethics Committee Professor Lindsey Earner-Byrne email: lindsey.earnerbyrne@tcd
We accept internal School Ethics applications on a rolling basis throughout the academic year until Tuesday 6 May 2025. Applications will not be reviewed during the Summer Research period.
In certain cases, your Ethics Approval Application to the School may indicate that your application cannot be approved at School level and you must apply to the Faculty Ethics Committee via the online REAMS system. Click here for more information and a link to the REAMs system. Please note the deadline for REAMS applications is also Tuesday 6 May 2025.
For all applicants:
- It is recommended that you review Trinity’s Policy on Good Research Practice and Data Protection Policy and Data Protection Handbook
Other helpful resources:
- General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Information
- General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Training
- Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA)
- Data Encryption information