UG Dissertations: Ethics Approval
Every LUBS undergraduate dissertation requires Ethics Approval. This is the single, non-negotiable step you must complete before collecting any data to safeguard your research and avoid major penalties to your final mark. This page explains the entire process, so you can get started with confidence.
How to get approval: the two routes
To get approval you will need to submit an online form and include some essential documents as evidence. But before you do that, read through the information below to understand the process for your specific project plan.
All dissertation modules at LUBS require you to obtain ethics approval, but there are two different categories of approval, each with a different approval process. It is important you understand which process applies to your project.
Category 1: Project is within block approval
This is the standard category that most dissertation projects will be covered by. We strongly recommend that you design your project to be classed as "within block approval".
It is your responsibility to check if your project can be approved under block ethics approval.
Note: If your project qualifies for Block Approval, you must still get your dissertation supervisor to approve your project before you can start collecting data.
The process for requesting approval can be completed online, and is fully detailed further down this page.
Category 2: Project is outside of block approval
Important: If you think your project will not be covered by block approval you must speak to both the Module Leader and your Dissertation Supervisor to seek their written approval.
Projects which are outside of block approval will usually require a full ethics review. This is a complex process, and takes up to two months to complete.
Examples of when a project may be outside of block approval (not exhaustive):
- The project involves the NHS
- The project uses participants classed as vulnerable
If both the Module Leader and your Dissertation Supervisor agree to support a project outside of block approval, you must complete your application before the last day of teaching in semester 1, before the Christmas break:
Category 2 application Deadline: 12 December 2025
Understanding the different types of dissertation
Before your supervisor can give you ethics approval, they need to understand your idea and how you are planning to collect data.
As part of your ethics application you must submit documents which demonstrate this information to your supervisor.
Which documents are needed for your specific project is decided by the type of research involved. Read the summaries below to decide which type of dissertation applies to you, and the documents it will require as evidence for your supervisor:
If you are using qualitative research methods
Qualitative research uses non-numerical data to explore people's opinions and feelings rather than information that can easily be shown in numbers.
This will usually require you to provide three documents with your ethics application:
- A Participant information sheet, or email text which invites respondents to the study
- An Informed consent form, to be signed by respondents
- A document which details the tools used to obtain your primary qualitative data (For example, a list of interview or focus group questions)
You can download templates for Consent and Participant Information Sheet templates from the University:
If you are using quantitative research methods
Quantitative Research uses surveys or experiments for the collection and analysis of numerical data.
This will usually require you to provide two documents with your ethics application:
- A Participant information sheet, or email text which invites respondents to the study
- A Survey questionnaire, which includes informed consent information in its design
A template called ‘consent for questionnaires and surveys’, which includes an example introductory paragraph, can be downloaded from the University:
Are you using primary or secondary data?
Primary data is information you collect yourself for your project, for example through a survey or interviews.
Secondary data is information that has already been collected by someone else, for example a government census or an academic report.
The data requirements for your undergraduate dissertation are specified within your LUBS undergraduate dissertation module specification.
Modules vary in their requirements. It is your responsibility to check:
- If primary data collection is mandatory.
- If the use of secondary data is permitted or prohibited.
Note: Ethics approval is required for both primary and secondary data-based dissertations
How to submit your online ethics approval application
Once you are ready, you can complete your ethics application via the online form linked below in this section. You must do this, no matter what type of dissertation you are planning.
To make sure you have everything you need, check you have the following information before opening the form:
- Your student ID number
- The module number
- The name of your assigned supervisor
- An understanding of whether you plan to use primary and / or secondary data
You should finish reading all of this page and watch the short video below to make sure you fully understand everything about the ethics process. But when you are ready, you can hit the button below to get started - well done you!
Note: the form requires you to login with your standard University IT account username and password. If you have difficulty gaining access through an Android or iOS device, please try again using a windows laptop / desktop and Edge browser.
Submitting your ethics application - video guide
Deadlines: when to submit your application
Deadlines for block approval projects are flexible, but you must submit your online a minimum of two weeks before you start collecting data.
Your supervisor will approve your ethics application as soon as possible, but they will sometimes need to make and discuss changes to your plan first - so having those minimum two weeks is essential to allow for that process.
Deadlines: latest possible submissions
The latest deadline for obtaining the ethics approval is two weeks before the start of the Easter break - This means that you must submit your online application (including full primary data additional form, if required) no later than 13 March 2026.
Note: it is your responsibility to plan your project well enough to meet this deadline.
Penalties for not following the rules
Ethics in research is a very serious matter, and there are strict penalties for any project that does not follow the rules laid out on this page and within the forms.
Remember: you must get written supervisor ethics approval before you start collecting any data, and you must attach your full approval documents to your final dissertation when you submit it.
The table below explains what penalties will be applied if you fail to follow the rules properly:
| Ethics Approval Status | Dissertation Penalty |
|---|---|
| Approved but not submitted with dissertation | 5 marks penalty to written dissertation.
Cannot create a fail to written dissertation (i.e., 40% cap) |
| Approved after data collection started and submitted with dissertation | 10 marks penalty to written dissertation
Cannot create a fail to written dissertation (i.e., 40% cap) |
| Approved after data collection started and not submitted with dissertation | 15 marks penalty to written dissertation
Cannot create a fail to written dissertation (i.e., 40% cap) |
| No ethics approval | Written dissertation mark CAPPED at 40% |
Knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful