[ This page is now out of date - please speak to Mike Joy or Jane Sinclair; we will revise it ASAP ]

There are essentially five documents that need to be submitted. The general rule here is, just answer the questions asked straightforwardly - don't waffle, and say "n/a" if you need to.

If your study just requires questionnaires and/or interviews, then cutting and pasting the contents of these templates should be sufficient.

If your study involves similar "light touch" data collection (such as observation of students using software), then the interview template here should require minimal editing.

First of all, you will need a study proposal (protocol). This is basically the description of the project. It's a good idea to have a copy of this written using the same headings as BSREC suggests, and this document can be re-used with minimal alteration if you require subsequent ethical approval for a further research activity.

Second, you fill in the application form. The form is generally straightforward.

Third, you need to include the documents you will need for the questionnaire and interviews themselves. These will include the actual questionnaire (this can be a draft version), the PIL (the document that explains to the participant what you are doing) and the consent form (for interviews).

The templates are as follows:

• Proposal
• Application form
• PIL
• Consent form (interviews)
• Sample questionnaire