Research Ethics Policy

Overview

Impact Stories is a corporate member of the UK Market Research Society and all our research fully complies with the MRS Code of Conduct (for more detail see the website https://www.mrs.org.uk/standards/code-of-conduct).

 

We also comply with the global regulatory and ethical guidelines set out by ESOMAR in conjunction with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) through its Code on Market and Social Research.

 

We are registered with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO no.: ZA393489) and we are Cyber Essentials certified. We are fully compliant with GDPR and the European Social Research Council’s Research Data Policy in connection with data protection and data subject rights.

Our research follows best ethical practices not only to ensure compliance with laws and highest industry standards but also our own values.

 

We take our responsibility to protect the data privacy of our respondents as a priority. We also behave with integrity in our relationships with clients, suppliers, respondents and other stakeholders and in terms of the data measurement, work, products and services that we provide to our clients.

 

We are members of the UK Evaluation Society and adhere to the UK Evaluation Society’s Guidelines for Good Practice in evaluation which covers the entire spectrum of the evaluation process. These guidelines are consistent with the practice set out below for research activity.

 

We always aim to engage with participants in a spirit of mutual respect and we are sensitive to issues and topics which may be personally or culturally sensitive. This is especially so in an international context and in relation to safeguarding and consent for children, young people and vulnerable adults and/or when working with sensitive groups (religious/political) and/or where participant identity is a risk e.g. through quotes, photographic or visual identification.

 

We comply with key regulatory codes in their entirety and highlight specific areas below.

Professional standards and integrity

All our research and evaluation activity adheres to the highest professional standards and our research and evaluation is conducted according to relevant and required legal and professional frameworks, obligations and standards. We also expect our suppliers to comply with our practices and all applicable laws and regulations in their countries.

 

Any conflicts of interest affecting staff or contractors must be disclosed.

 

We ensure that our professional activities can be understood in a transparent way and that all our professional and business relationships are straightforward and honest.

 

We respect the confidentiality of information collected in our professional activities and respect the rights and well-being of individuals (see data protection).

 

We undertake to act honestly in all professional activities and will not act in a way that might bring discredit on the profession and professional bodies.

All research involving human participants adheres to the principles relating to informed consent and the right to anonymity.

 

We aim to ensure aspects of our research and evaluation processes are culturally contextualised and align to client values and EDI principles including in the research process, and selection of suppliers, partners and participants, especially when we undertake international research.

 

We have appropriate measures in place to protect against potential harm; to ensure that participants are not harmed or adversely affected by our professional activities.

 

Our employees have appropriate training, qualifications and experience to undertake the particular job they are to perform. All employees are committed to protecting the reputation and integrity of the profession.

 

Where we subcontract, we ensure that our suppliers conduct research and evaluation in an ethical manner and that their practice is regularly reviewed within the project management process.

 

Risk assessment and management

Identification and assessment of potential risks to all people and institutions involved as well as how to mitigate any risk are considered in the planning and at the outset of all research and evaluation activity that we undertake.

 

Any research or evaluation activity that is considered ‘secure and sensitive’ by our clients will also be reviewed in conjunction with our clients, for example research and evaluation involving fieldwork in a geographically high-risk location or where the activities will increase the risk of danger of physical or psychological harm for the researcher or subject from their association with the research or publication of its findings.

 

In compliance with relevant regulatory and legal obligations, we ensure that our research and evaluation ensures a ‘do not harm’ approach at all stages of the process. Respondent confidentiality is assured and the rights of respondents are respected.

 

We always inform respondents of the subject and purpose of research and evaluation we undertake and how their information it will be used and disseminated. We mandate that any risks relating to the research and evaluation process should be clearly communicated at the outset. Participants always have the right of refusal and when they choose to participate are supported to ensure management and mitigation of any identified risks.

 

Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults

We are particularly mindful of regulation in relation to the risks and ethics of interviewing children, young people and vulnerable adults by obtaining the consent of guardians and parents before conducting any interviews. These respondents must also be given the opportunity in advance to decline to take part in research even when responsible adult permission has been granted.

 

Our employees are UK DBS checked.

 

Confidentiality

Compliance with confidentiality obligations involving clients and third parties is fundamental and we respect the confidentiality of information collected in our professional activities. Employees may have access to confidential information relating to the company, our clients, suppliers, respondents or other stakeholders (“Confidential Information”). Every employee is trained and obliged to treat this information as being confidential.

We take appropriate technical, organisational, and physical precautions to secure personal data and to prevent the loss, misuse, or alteration of personal data. We regularly review, monitor, and evaluate our privacy practices and protection systems.

Confidential information including research data is stored on secure servers, on password protected computers and devices survey platforms (e.g. CheckMarket) that are GDPR compliant and are only accessible to relevant individuals.

 

Data protection and privacy

As a company, we collect and analyse information about individuals through qualitative and quantitative methods, in person or digitally and through primary and secondary data. It is therefore essential that we comply with relevant privacy laws and regulations and specifically that we adhere to the fundamental principles of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act, 2018 in all aspects of research practice and the collection, storage, management and publication of participant and partner information.

 

Personal information (known as “personal data” “personally identifiable information” “PII” etc) must be treated as confidential information and handled in strict compliance with regulatory and legal obligations. It can only be used for the purposes for which it is collected and must not be disclosed to third parties without appropriate authorisation.

 

We obtain and record the informed consent of all respondents; for both offline and online surveys and interviews for those over the age of 18. For those under 18, young and vulnerable adults, permission must be granted by a guardian. Details of key research contact for queries and key contact to raise concerns with our clients are also provided.

 

Anonymity of research participants is maintained as the default position of our research and respondents must be given the option for their involvement to remain anonymous.

 

Data is reported at an aggregate level in order to ensure that responses cannot be traced back to a single respondent and any quotes included in a report are reported anonymously. We do not record any interviews unless explicit consent has been given by an interviewee.

 

We will re-contact participants only where permission has been obtained during the initial data collection process and the purpose for doing so and by whom has been outlined.

 

We inform interviewees / respondents about the period of time their data will be held. Personal data is destroyed in a manner which safeguards confidentiality.

 

Respondents should be given the option not to participate in the research and/or withdraw their cooperation at any time during the research process – all data relating to the respondent must then be destroyed.

 

Participants are entitled to access personal information we hold about them (a Subject Access Request) and has the right to change any information they deem to be incorrect. Wherever reasonable and practical, we will carry out such requests. These rights are detailed in guidance from the Information Commissioner’s Office (http://ico.org.uk)

 

Under GDPR a participant has the following rights:

  • The right to be informed
  • The right of access
  • The right to rectification
  • The right to erasure
  • The right to restrict processing
  • The right to data portability
  • The right to object.

 

Collaboration and partnership activities

Any research or evaluation activity that involves collaboration with an external partner, consultant or supplier is based on an agreement that the partner complies with the appropriate regulatory and legal obligations related to that activity and that they maintain as minimum standards the approach and policies set out in this document.

 

This will involve signing an appropriate agreement or contract in which roles, and responsibilities of all parties must be clearly outlined.

 

Suppliers will be responsible for assessing and mitigating ethical risk and we will be accountable for regularly reviewing this within our project management process.

 

 

Reporting and dissemination of research and evaluation

We design research and evaluation to the specification and quality agreed with our clients and ensure that the findings and interpretation of them are clearly and adequately supported by data.

 

We provide clients with sufficient technical information to enable them to assess the validity of results of projects carried out on their behalf and ensure that all reporting also provides such information.

 

We require to be informed when output from our work is to be published by a client

 

Where research and evaluation outputs are to be published, we reserve the right to refuse permission where we consider that doing so would conflict with data protection legislation, commercial confidentiality, respect for people’s rights and dignity, participant confidentiality or general ‘do no harm’ principles.

 

Where only some of the findings are published, these must be accurate, supported by data and and reference the final report details (including question wording where questions are quoted) or details where the information can be obtained (e.g. via a website). Where findings have been incorrectly or misleadingly reported, we will require that this be corrected. If this does not happen, we will refuse permission for our name to be associated with the published findings or publish a correction ourselves.

 

 

Misconduct and whistleblowing

 

Our employees act as ambassadors for Applied Market Solutions Ltd and contribute to our culture and reputation by complying with relevant laws and regulations.

 

Our managers are expected to encourage ethical conduct, lead by example on compliance, assign proper resources to obtain the right expertise on compliance, and detect and respond to compliance issues.

 

If an employee is deemed guilty of violation or unprofessional conduct in relation to the laws and regulations to which we comply this may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. A violation by a contractor, consultant or supplier may result in termination of the contract,

 

Our employees also have a duty to report anything they feel may be unethical or contrary to these laws and regulations and our own ethics policy.

 

As part of our recruitment process, all research participants are made aware of how to report concerns confidentially. Confidentiality will not be breached except in cases of safeguarding where a child or adult at risk is at risk of harm and where action is needed to ensure that they are protected.

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