Many thanks - that is exactly what was needed.  I will be happy to continue to circulate information about research with this information attached.
Kirsteen

Kirsteen Coupar
Equality and Diversity Manager
Flat 40b Catherine of Aragon Court
Southwood Site
Avery Hill Campus
University of Greenwich

Tel 020 8331 8817
________________________________________
From: HE Administrators equal opportunities list [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Chris Brill [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 09 December 2010 09:40
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Participation in ECU surveys

Dear all,



As ECU is currently running a couple of surveys as part of our projects, we thought it would be helpful to provide some detail relating to issues potentially surrounding participation in this work.



Both surveys meet ethical approval at the host institution/organisation, and it will ultimately be the decision of individual higher education institutions as to how far they can and are willing to engage with the research, and we are very grateful to institutions for their support in doing so. However, we recognise that by helping to publicise and circulate our surveys, institutions are engaging in the research to a certain extent. Therefore, in doing so, institutions  may wish to make participants aware that they are not advocating that staff or students get involved, or that the institution is endorsing the research, or that they have had any involvement in developing the research. To overcome this a statement could be provided in an email accompanying any links to the surveys.



The surveys currently highlight that any questions, queries and concerns participants have can be directed to the research team. This information could again be replicated in accompanying emails. ECU can provide a paragraph highlighting these points for the different surveys we are running that institutions can use (or tailor) on request.

ECU hopes that individuals partaking in the research will receive a positive experience as it gives people a chance to tell their story, be listened to, and influence guidance promoting change and improvements. The institutional visits which form part of these research allow participants to discuss issues in further detail, and so during these visits researchers have familiarised themselves with local support services. They will be able to signpost support to participants involved in this aspect of the research if required. Practitioners who forward on emails around research requests may also want to signpost respondents to their counselling services on campus, or have the information to hand.



ECU would like to take this opportunity to thank institutions for their support with our projects, which seek to improve the experiences of staff and students on campus. If there are any further queries regarding the ethical approval implications of the research, please contact either the researchers or ourselves who can provide more specific detail.

With best wishes

Chris

Chris Brill
Policy Adviser
Tel:          020 7438 1021
Email:     [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>

Equality Challenge Unit
7th floor, Queens House
55/56 Lincoln's Inn Fields
London, WC2A 3LJ
Tel:           020 7438 1010
Fax:          020 7438 1011
Web:        www.ecu.ac.uk<http://www.ecu.ac.uk/>

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